Warriors Everlasting Miracles: Extra Edition
by Geasswolf
Summary: Warriors Everlasting Miracles: Extra Edition is home to where you, the reader, can request short stories based on the series. Didn't like how something turned out? Did you want to see a certain ship? Well here's the place where you can make your ideas into reality.
1. Introduction & Table of Contents

Hello, and welcome to Warriors: Everlasting Miracles: Extra Edition! Like the summary stated, this is where your ideas can come to life based on the characters already in the series. Therefore, the only rule here is that only characters already in this series can be used. (Ex. Lelouch, Sora, Kirito, Asuna, etc.) This is a project I've always wanted to work on, especially since there are even some things that I wish would happen in these stories, but aren't as plausible and wouldn't really fit in with the nature of the series as it is right now. I also like seeing reader ideas, because in a way, it shows that there are actually admirers of this series.

If you have any ideas, feel free to leave a review or send me a P.M. about the idea and I'll review it and see if it's something I'm interested in doing. Thanks, and I hope you all enjoy these stories.

 **Table of Contents**

 **Lost Feeling (Lelouch x Leafpool)** \- After his return back to the Clan, Leafpool begins to see Lelouch in a different way. The tom always was busy helping around the Clan and had a huge impact on every ThunderClan cat, but lately, Leafpool has fallen under the spell that the tom puts most she-cats in around him. She's done it before, but is Leafpool able to admit her feelings to Lelouch, even when he already has a mate of his own?

 **A Confused Heart (Kirito x Dovewing) -** It's been days ever since Kirito, Asuna, and Suguha ended up in ThunderClan. Ever since she helped train Kirito with Lionblaze, Dovewing had gotten to know Kirito better and the two easily became friends; but between the two, is one of their hearts yearning to be more than just friends?

 **Not Part of My Plan (Lelouch x Ivypool)** \- After going out on a patrol, Ivypool sees her sister bring in a new tom into camp named Lelouch. With a mysterious backstory, she tries her best to make him feel comfortable in ThunderClan, only to develop feelings towards him. With the battle against the Dark Forest approaching, could there be too much for Ivypool to worry about? (Pretty much Ivypool's P.O.V. of Turn 1 in the series.)

 **Better Left Unsaid (Lelouch x Suguha)-** Suguha never expected to find love during her time in ThunderClan, but ever since the journey to find SkyClan, Lelouch had constantly been on her mind. Knowing that he was already with Ivypool, being in a relationship was out of the picture. Finding out how the tom felt about her was more than enough...but how could she do it without asking directly and possibly ruining their friendship?


	2. Lost Feeling (Lelouch x Leafpool)

Lost Feeling

 _The sun glowed past the_ trees towering above ThunderClan territory. Outside in the forest, Lelouch and Leafpool were both out hunting, the other cats in the group deciding to split up to cover more ground. Although Leafpool spent most of her time in the medicine cat's den, it wasn't uncalled for her sister to ask her to join some of the other cats on a hunting patrol.

"There's a mouse over there." Lelouch told her.

"Yeah, I smell it as well." Leafpool responded, slowly getting into a hunter's crouch and inching closer to the prey. Once she was close enough, she pounced forward and once she caught the mouse she dealt the killing blow.

"Nice catch, Leafpool." Lelouch commented with a smile.

"Thanks. You know, sometimes I forget that I can hunt. Remember the last time we went out hunting together?"

"Yeah, a Heartless almost got you that day. I'm glad I was there to kill it." He replied with a smile.

"You and me both." She giggled. "It's nice you have you back around ThunderClan, Lelouch. Something was missing all those moons you were gone…but now everything feels back in place."

"Thanks Leafpool, that means a lot." He sniffed the air and turned around. "There's a vole around here." He got into a hunter's crouch and slowly surveyed the area until he caught sight of his target. Leafpool watched the black tom slowly move towards the prey and quickly leap into the air when the time was right. _Even with how long he's been gone he still knows how to hunt as good as any warrior._ She thought, letting out a smile as he looked back at her with the prey in his jaws.

"Ready to go back to camp?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. Is this enough?" He wondered, and she nodded.

"They're reasonably sized for what they are."

"Okay then, let's go." Lelouch took the lead and Leafpool walked a few pawsteps behind him. For the entire time, she couldn't keep her amber eyes off of the violet-eyed cat in front of him. She knew that she missed his presence for the duration he was gone, and the same could be said from any ThunderClan cat, but she felt like she missed him more than most of them. She felt very fond of Lelouch, especially since he helped anywhere he could, but she knew there was more to it than that. _There's just something about him that just…I don't know how to describe it…_ She thought, although she was more than familiar with how she felt towards him. _No…it's wrong, especially since I'm a medicine cat…but also because he's Ivypool's mate. I can't help it though…_

"Leafpool? Hey, are you okay?" She heard his voice, which helped break her free from her thoughts. She saw that he stopped walking.

"Lelouch, is something wrong?"

"I was just asking you about how your duties as a medicine cat have been going as of late, but you didn't reply."

"Oh, I'm sorry…" She apologized. "Everything's been fine."

"That's good to know. You have a really important job, you know. I'm sure the whole clan appreciates everything you and Jayfeather do for them." She blushed at the praise he gave her. _Stop it…I can't…_

"T-thank you Lelouch. It really is a hard path to walk, especially with all the rules that we need to follow that normal warriors don't."

"I can imagine. You and Jayfeather already have a big responsibility as is, and having extra guidelines adds to that." He stated. "Sorry for talking for a bit. We should get going."

"No, it's okay, really." She assured him. "Is there something else you want to ask me?" His violet gaze locked onto her, but he turned away.

"I don't want to get too personal with all of this." He responded, but she shook her head.

"We're friends, aren't we?" She asked, and he nodded. "What did you want to know?"

"Do you regret it? Becoming a medicine cat, that is." He finally asked. "I'm guessing not because you were a warrior before you stepped back into becoming a medicine cat again."

"No…that's not it…" Lelouch could sense the sudden change in her tone. It became crestfallen, and he knew that he shouldn't have asked the question. "Regardless…what I did during my time as a medicine cat would've been against the warrior code for any cat. I don't regret the decision…but after everything, I felt obliged to become one again because I learned so much. Even if I wanted to be a warrior, the only thing would be changed is what I'd be doing around the camp. Even though having a mate is open, I don't think I'd partake in it anyway, or be able to for that matter."

"I see. Sorry for asking. I'm pretty sure I overstepped my boundary between friendly and personal information." He apologized.

"It's okay. I insisted, didn't I? Actually, it's nice to have a cat around who I feel comfortable telling this sort of stuff to." She confessed, the she-cat feeling the fur on her face becoming hot. "Anything else that you want to know?"

"No. Thanks for sharing, Leafpool." The two cats picked up their fresh-kill and headed back to camp.

When the two arrived, they saw that the other cats they were out with already dropped off their fresh-kill into the pile.

"Father! There you are!" The two saw Nightheart run over to them, and Lelouch greeted his daughter with a small lick to her ear. "I was getting worried about you and Leafpool. I saw the other cats come back, but here you two are now."

"Sorry to worry you, Nightheart. Leafpool and I were just talking for a bit while we were out." Lelouch informed her. He then turned to look at the medicine cat. "Thanks for going out hunting with me."

"Oh it's nothing. We're both warriors after all." She let out a smile. "I should get going back to the medicine cat's den." She left the father and daughter together and headed over to the den. When she walked inside, she saw that Jayfeather was sorting herbs while Briarlight was resting.

"You're back. How was hunting?" Her son asked.

"It went well. Jayfeather, you don't mind if I sleep for a bit, do you?"

"Not at all. Is there something wrong?" He wondered, but she shook her head.

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired today is all."

"Well okay then. You know you're a medicine cat yourself, and my mother, after all. I don't see why you have to ask me if you can do anything."

"You're right, sorry." She apologized.

"Are you sure you're alright? You sound a bit off today. I suppose you're just going to tell me that you're fine still."

"Because I am fine."

"Right. Anyway, just go rest. I'll wake you up whenever something happens and I need your help."

"Okay, thanks." Leafpool got comfortable in her bedding and rested her head down on her paws. _You can't fall in love with him, Leafpool, you can't. He already has a family, and so do you. It's wrong…but…I can't help it…_ The she-cat slowly closed her eyes and went to sleep, hoping that the black tom would leave her mind.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Leafpool, Leafpool?" The tabby she-cat opened her eyes to see Lelouch looking down at her. "You're awake, that's a relief."

"Wha—." Leafpool looked around and saw that she was no longer in the medicine cat's den, but instead in the forest. _I can't escape him…_ She thought with worry. _Maybe…maybe this means that I have to tell him the truth._

"Are you okay? You seem confused."

"Do I? Sorry." She got up to her paws. "What are we doing out here, Lelouch?"

"Seriously? You asked me to come along with you to pick some herbs that were apparently far away from ThunderClan, so we decided to sleep out here because we couldn't make it to…well wherever we're going." He responded. Sleeping _out in the open…and herbs that are far away from ThunderClan? This is a dream alright._

"Oh…r-right." The two stood there, until Lelouch broke the silence between them.

"Um…you're the one who knows where we're going, you know." He told her. "You sure you're alright, Leafpool? Just tell me what I need to go out to get to make you feel better."

"No, no, I'm just…fine. You're by my side, after all." A blush covered the tom's face. "Whoops! I didn't mean to come off like that! I meant that you're a really good warrior."

"I figured as much." He replied with a small laugh. "Do you want to go hunting first, or did you want to find those herbs so we could get back to the clan faster?"

"We should go hunt first. We did just wake up, after all."

"Sounds good." The two walked out into the forest together looking for their first meal of the day. _If this is a dream…then maybe it's going to show me the outcome of telling Lelouch how I feel. I mean, he seems like himself…but what if my mind has melded him to reciprocate those same feelings back?_ She wondered. "It feels strange, being away from the clan for this long." Leafpool stopped in her tracks and the tom looked back at her. "You okay?" _He looks somewhat like…Crowfeather. Is that it? Is this dream mirroring the time he and I left the clans to be together?_

"I'm fine…something just seems familiar." The two continued walking until she saw Lelouch stop. She scented the air and realized that there was prey nearby. She watched him get into a hunter's crouch and he leaped forward, catching a mouse and killing it with a quick bite to the neck. With prey in his jaws, he walked over to her and dropped it to her paws.

"You can have it. I'll go hunt for the both of us." He offered, but she shook her head.

"Lelouch, I can hunt too, you know."

"I know, but something's going on in your mind right now. I'm not sure what it is, but I think it'll throw you off when you hunt, no offense."

"I'll be fine." Her ears twitched and she turned around to see a squirrel running across the forest floor. She got low and slowly crept towards it. She saw it stop in place, and when she thought the opportunity was right, she leaped, but watched as it ran away right when she was about to land on it. She looked back at Lelouch to see what he was doing and saw that he was watching her, looking away when their eyes connected. She got up from the ground and looked around for any other piece of prey. She scented a mouse and looked around until her eyes locked onto it. Again, she got into a hunter's crouch and approached it slowly. Not wanting it to run away, she immediately jumped, but then saw it escape from her. She let out a sigh and walked over to where Lelouch was.

"You can have this mouse if you want. The offer's still available." He said, and she sat down and began eating it, causing him to smile. When she saw him, she became flustered, almost feeling like a little kit again.

"Thank you." She told him after swallowing her first bite. She saw that he had another mouse at his paws and looked up at him. "Aren't you going to eat too?"

"Do you think that mouse is enough for you? It's not that big, so I was going to leave this one for you as well." He explained. "I'm not that hungry."

"No, you can have it. It's only fair." She assured him. Lelouch now rested on the ground to eat his prey, taking a few small bites of it at a time. As they were eating, Lelouch looked over at her.

"Leafpool?"

"Yes?"

"When I asked you if you were okay before, you said something felt familiar. Is it just a memory of walking around here before?" _This is my chance…I can tell him how I feel. This is just a dream, Leafpool, that's all it is._ She said, slowly coaxing herself to tell him.

"No, it's just…being out here alone with you…reminded me of when I ran away with Crowfeather so many moons ago." She told him. "You look a bit like him too." A blush formed on his face and he stopped eating.

"R-really?" Leafpool placed a paw over her mouth and looked away.

"I didn't mean to make this weird. Sorry!" She apologized, a strong blush on her face.

"It's fine." Leafpool looked down at her mouse and continued eating. _This isn't real, so why am I so scared to tell him?_ She looked over at the tom and saw his violet eyes were focused on his food. _I feel like I already messed up…_ Leafpool thought as she finished the last of her mouse. She now waited for him to finish his mouse and once he did, she mustered up the courage to finally speak.

"Lelouch…there's something I want to tell you." Lelouch looked over at her. Once his violet eyes connected with her amber eyes, she slowly felt herself losing the courage to tell him, but she stayed confident.

"What is it?"

I just…I don't want to ruin how you see me…"

"See you? Leafpool what do you mean?"

"Lelouch, I…being here alone with you reminded me a lot of when Crowfeather and I escaped our Clans…but when I said you looked like him…I think it's because I…Lelouch I…love you." She watched as the sudden news caused his eyes to widen.

"L-Leafpool…I…"

"You don't have to say anything. I know it's strange to have feelings for you, especially since you and Ivypool are together…but…I just didn't want to keep it away from you." She confessed.

"But…you're a medicine cat…"

"I know, and you're only the second cat I've ever felt this way towards. I know I may sound reckless, but…I just…I just…" Lelouch got up from where he was and sat down so he was right next to her, pressing his coat to hers to comfort her. "Lelouch…"

"Leafpool, I didn't know that you felt like this towards me. Since you're a medicine cat…I didn't think much of your feelings on a romantic level…but now…" She looked up at him and saw that he looked away once their gazes met. "Leafpool…you're a beautiful she-cat. Not only that, but you're kind and caring as well. I would be lying if I told you that I don't have any feelings for you."

"Lelouch, do you mean that?" He nodded.

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind being with you, Leafpool." He slowly moved his face towards hers and their mouths connected in a kiss. _Lelouch…he loves me…_ She thought as the kiss continued. Once they broke away after a few seconds, Leafpool pressed her head against Lelouch's chestfur. "We should run…just like you and Crowfeather did."

"Lelouch…are you serious?" He let out a small laugh.

"Just kidding. I just…don't know how we're going to live after what we just told each other."

"We'll keep it as a secret between us." She simply suggested.

"I don't know if that'll work. There will be times where I want to be alone with you, Leafpool…just the two of us, like this." He said, giving her forehead a quick lick.

"We'll find a way, Lelouch. I'd do anything to be with you…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Leafpool, Leafpool?" She slowly opened her eyes to see the black tom looking at her. She quickly looked around and saw that she was back in the medicine cat's den.

"Lelouch, hi…" She greeted, a faint blush on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"He wanted to ask you if you'd go out on the hunting patrol again tonight." Jayfeather told her.

"Oh…okay then." She got up and followed Lelouch outside. _He asked me to come out on another hunting patrol. Could he…no, there's no way he loves me too._ She looked up at the stars in the sky. _Nighttime hunting? I can't remember the last time I did this._ The two walked over and saw Brackenfur and Blossomfall waiting for them.

"Hi Leafpool. Lelouch took us by surprise when he asked if you could join us." Blossomfall told her.

"You and me both. At least the stars are out. It's a really beautiful night tonight." She responded.

"I think we're the only cats going, so let's head out." Brackenfur led them into the forest, and when they walked a reasonable distance he turned to look at the other three behind him. "Alright Blossomfall, you're with me. Lelouch, Leafpool, stay safe out there." The two cats walked deeper in the forest to hunt, leaving Lelouch and Leafpool alone together.

"Ready to go?" Lelouch asked her, and she nodded, following behind the tom once they began moving. "Sense anything yet?"

"No, not yet…wait…" Leafpool raised her head. "There's a mouse somewhere." The she-cat looked around until she saw the tiny figure moving along the grass. Lelouch watched as she got into a hunter's crouch and pounced on the mouse, killing it with one swift blow.

"Nice."

"Thanks. Now let's find something for you." The two continued walking into the forest for a few minutes until Lelouch stopped. He saw a lone thrush slowly hopping around. He pressed his body close to the forest floor and snuck up on the bird. Once he closed the distance between them as best as he could, he leaped towards it. The thrush began to fly away while he was in the air, but he quickly swiped at it with his right forepaw, knocking it back down to the ground, allowing Lelouch to kill it.

"That was a nice catch." Leafpool said with praise.

"I thought it was going to get away, actually. I struck it just in time." He responded, picking up his piece of fresh kill. "Ready to go?" He asked, his voice muffled by the bird's feathers.

"Actually…there's something I want to ask you, Lelouch."

"Sure, what is it?" He wondered after he put down the thrush.

"Why'd you ask me to join you for this hunting patrol?"

"I thought that you'd ask that." He told her. "I didn't mean to wake you while you were asleep, but everyone else was tired and you're the first cat that came to mind when I was asked to get another cat to come along."

"Oh…"

"That doesn't completely answer your question, does it?" He stated, causing her to nod. "I also chose you because…well…when were out hunting, you said you felt obliged to become a medicine cat again…so I thought I'd ask you to do some tasks that a warrior does from time to time, like hunting." A blush rose on her face.

"Oh Lelouch…that's really sweet of you." _How can a she-cat not fall for him?_ "I didn't know you'd even do something like this with me in mind."

"Well…what you told me today was really personal…so I thought I'd try to repay it somehow." He said, scratching his head with a paw in embarrassment.

"Lelouch…I'm really at a loss for words. You really are an amazing cat." She told him, causing him to blush.

"It was nothing, really." He assured her. "Are you ready to head back to camp?"

"No. There's actually…something I need to tell you." Lelouch looked over at her, and she gulped, knowing that there was no turning back once she told him what she wanted to say. "I…I know that this is going to sound strange, so please don't hate me for it…but…I think I'm…I'm falling in love with you, Lelouch." The black tom looked at her in surprise.

"W-what? Leafpool, is that true?" She shamefully nodded.

"I know it's wrong because you already have Ivypool, but I can't shake it off." She admitted, turning her gaze away from him.

"I don't know what to say…"

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way. I know the risk that I was taking in telling you how I really feel. We should just…get back to camp." Leafpool picked up her mouse and began walking.

"Leafpool, wait." She turned around and their eyes met. "It'd be a shame to waste a beautiful night like this. Would you like to spend it with me?" Her eyes glistened, and Lelouch made his way over to her. "I know that I'm with Ivypool…but I wouldn't mind being with you tonight, Leafpool." She pressed her head under his chin, letting out a happy purr. "I should bring the bird with me." He walked back to where his piece of fresh kill was and picked it up. "Follow me, I know the perfect place." She nodded and walked behind him, her heart still pounding from her confession. They walked for a few minutes until Lelouch walked through a row of bushes. When she broke through she saw that they were in front of the lake, the stars above illuminating it with their light.

"Lelouch…it's beautiful…"

"Just like the cat I'm with right now." She let out a small gasp and looked over at him. "Too romantic?"

"A bit. Maybe save that for Ivypool." Leafpool said with a giggle. Unexpectedly, Lelouch felt Leafpool give him a small lick on the cheek, causing him to blush.

"Leafpool…I know it sounded like it was meant for Ivypool, but you really are a beautiful cat. You're sweet, kind, and caring. Crowfeather was lucky to be with you." He told her, causing the fur on her face to grow hot.

"Thank you, but you're more caring, kind, and sweeter than I am. I always love seeing all the work you've done for the Clan while you've been here." She said, causing him to smile. "Anyway, we should stop talking and enjoy this sight together for a bit. I don't want the others to worry."

"You're right, I forgot about that." He realized. "A few minutes is all we need to take this all in anyway." The two sat next to each other, Leafpool pressing her head onto his shoulder, looking at the breathtaking sight in front of them.

Once the two cats were ready to head back to ThunderClan, they picked up their fresh-kill and made their way back home. When they arrived at the thorn tunnel, they saw that Brackenfur and Blossomfall at the camp entrance.

"There you two are." Brackenfur said once he saw the two.

"Were you both waiting for us out here?" Lelouch asked, putting his thrush down before he spoke.

"Yeah. Blossomfall convinced me that the two of us should stay and wait just to make sure you both were okay." He said, and they looked over at the tortoiseshell and white she-cat, a small blush on her face.

"W-well we are clanmates after all. I would feel horrible if something happened to you both." She stated.

"Sorry for making you wait and possibly worry about us." Leafpool apologized. "We should get back into camp now. You both deserve it." The four cats made their way through the thorn tunnel and once they entered the camp they made their way to the fresh-kill pile to drop off their prey for the cats to eat when they woke up.

"Nice hunting you two." Brackenfur commented. "We should probably get some shuteye now. I'll see you two in the warriors' den." He said, looking over at Blossomfall and Lelouch. "Night, Leafpool."

"Goodnight Brackenfur." The tom left the group, leaving Lelouch with the two she-cats.

"I should get going too. Goodnight you two."

"Goodnight, Blossomfall." The two watched her make her way to the warriors' den before looking at each other and then turning their gaze away, the fur on their faces hot.

"Um…thanks for tonight, Lelouch."

"Yeah, it was no problem, Leafpool." She let out a shy smile, but could still sense that the violet-eyed tom was still flustered. "We probably should keep this to ourselves. I don't think I need to remind you that."

"O-of course! I wouldn't dare say a word. I don't want to imagine what would happen if Ivypool or Nightheart found out."

"You and me both." He let out a small laugh. Lelouch then looked behind him towards the warriors' den and then turned his gaze towards the medicine cat. Unexpectedly, in a few seconds, Leafpool felt her mouth connected to his in a quick kiss lasting a few seconds before he moved away. She wasn't sure if she was still dreaming or not, the tom being the one who initiated the sudden action. "Goodnight, Leafpool."

"G-goodnight, Lelouch." She replied, her mind trying to grasp what just happened between the two. _He…kissed me… Lelouch really kissed me…_ As she walked back to the medicine cat's den, Leafpool couldn't keep the smile off of her face. She didn't expect to feel love like this ever again, but Lelouch was able to rekindle that feeling inside of her heart.

"So, how was hunting?" Jayfeather asked, hearing her enter the den.

"It went great." She told him.

"It must have. You look really happy." Briarlight added.

"Well just don't forget that you're a medicine cat." Jayfeather reminded her. "It's nice of Lelouch to take you out hunting, though."

"He really is something, isn't he?" Briarlight commented.

"He's such a sweet cat. I don't think I've ever met a cat as selfless, gentle, and caring as he is." Leafpool stated, a small blush on her face as she described the cat who made her night.

"Okay, calm down you two. Let's get some sleep." Jayfeather told them. Leafpool made her way over to her nest and wriggled around until she was comfortable. _I can't believe everything that happened between Lelouch and I. I'm glad that he was the one to remind me how love felt._


	3. A Confused Heart (Kirito x Dovewing)

A Confused Heart

 _Kirito walked slowly through_ the forest following Dovewing and Lionblaze, admiring the vast amount of trees and shrubbery. Today the two cats were going to continue teaching the tom how to fight. The two ThunderClan cats felt a sense of nostalgia as they helped Kirito, reminding them of when they helped Lelouch when he first arrived in ThunderClan.

"Kirito, I have to say that you catch on quick. I'm starting to think all cats from a different world are like that." Lionblaze told him.

"Thanks, but I have to give you both credit as well. I wouldn't even imagine a cat having so many moves at his disposal." He replied.

"Well, that's the warrior life for you. Unless you want to go find a home and become a kittypet." Dovewing teased.

"I don't know, Dovewing. Look how Firestar turned out after coming here as a kittypet." Lionblaze told her.

"Wait, your leader before Bramblestar was a kittypet first? That's pretty awesome, actually." The black tom commented.

"Yeah. He actually mentored Bramblestar when he was a warrior as well." The she-cat added.

"Really? Why am I not being mentored by him, then?" Kirito said with a small laugh.

"You'll have to learn a lot more first before that happens, Kirito." Dovewing stated. "We're almost there. Just through these trees is where we'll be training." The three broke through a row of bushes and saw that they were now on the clearing, the meadow of grass in front of them containing a few trees scattered around it. The she-cat let out a breath. "So much happened here two years ago. I can't believe it's been that long."

"I know. You've had quite a time every time you were in this area at that time." Lionblaze added. "Ready to add another memory to it?"

"Yeah…wait, what?" The she-cat asked, caught off guard by his statement.

"It's only fair that you and Kirito fight here, exactly like you and Lelouch did back then." He responded, and then let out a laugh. "If I recall, you reacted the same way when I gave you that news."

"Because it came without warning, again!" She retorted, a small blush on her face. "But I guess we need to prepare Kirito for the prophecy after all." Dovewing turned to look at the other tom, their eyes connecting. "I won't go easy on you, Kirito." She warned him.

"Give me everything you've got, Dovewing." He replied with a confident smile. The two stood off, but then Dovewing shook her head, looking over at Lionblaze.

"Wait, you're not invincible anymore, so why do I have to fight him?" Lionblaze rolled his eyes.

"Because that's how everything happened with Lelouch two years ago. It's not like Kirito's out to kill you or anything." He responded. "Remember you two: no claws and if you bite, bite softly, okay?" He saw the two nod. "Okay then…start!" Lionblaze watched as the two charged at each other, the golden tom surprised at Kirito's speed. _For not being a cat, he's really fast._

Once Dovewing closed the distance between her and Kirito, she swerved right, passing her opponent. Kirito stopped and turned his head to see Dovewing running towards him. She pounced towards him in an effort to pin him, but he quickly sidestepped and gave her a slight slap to her face with his tail. She turned around and looked at him, blushing.

"That's not funny!" Dovewing yelled in anger.

"Are you sure? I thought it was." He responded with a snicker. Kirito noticed that his reaction got her even more irritated and her speed increased as she charged towards him. Again, he sidestepped, but Dovewing anticipated it and turned as well, tackling Kirito to the ground.

"Who's laughing now?" She taunted, pinning the tom. Kirito tried shaking his forepaws, but she had them planted firmly to the ground.

"Y'know, you're cute when you're mad." He replied, watching the fur on her face grow hot. _Gotcha._ Now, Kirito broke free from her grasp and got back to his paws and once he was ready, he ran towards her. Almost mimicking Dovewing, Kirito leaped towards her, but the she-cat rolled down on the ground and used her hindlegs to kick Kirito as he leaped over her, causing him to lose balance and fall on the grass. "Ow…nice move, Dovewing." He commented.

"Had enough yet?" She asked.

"I know we only just met, but one thing you should know is that I don't give up easily." He responded.

"I can tell." Dovewing now ran towards him, but unlike her last two approaches, she focused on her paw strikes and once she was close enough, she swung a paw towards him, causing him to step back. He then retaliated with his own paw strike, making a small leap to close the distance between them and using his right paw to hit her. He saw that it knocked her to the ground and she fell on her side, causing Kirito to look over at her in shock.

"Dovewing!" He ran over to her and looked down at her. "You're not hurt, are you?" Unexpectedly, Kirito felt two hindpaws flip him over and he landed on his back. Dovewing swiftly got up from the ground and walked above his head, pinning his forepaws to the ground. He looked up at her in shock.

"Y'know, you look cute when you're surprised." She let out a cute smile, a blush forming on Kirito's face.

"I guess I let my guard down there. You win, Dovewing." He told her. She then helped him up. "Thanks." Kirito looked at her left cheek. "I didn't hit you too hard, did I?"

"No, it's fine, really. I mean it hurts a bit, but it's nothing."

"Sorry." He apologized, and she gave him a playful shove.

"Hey, we were fighting, weren't we?" Kirito smiled at her response. "How are you feeling? I saw the fall you took when I kicked you with my hindpaws."

"I'm fine. I've been through a lot worse. You can't even imagine." He told her, and she let out a friendly smile.

"Nice fighting you two. It ended exactly like how it did when we trained Lelouch. It even looked as familiar."

"I was trying to recreate what I could remember from it, but Kirito didn't really pin me down like Lelouch did."

"Really?" Out of nowhere, Kirito knocked her down and placed his forepaws over hers. "How's that?"

"Strong. You have a nice hold, Kirito." She told him, unable to wriggle out of his grasp. "Could you let me up now, please?"

"Right, sorry." He now helped her up, and Lionblaze let out a smile.

"You two seem like really good friends already."

"You two? I'm pretty sure we're good friends too, Lionblaze." Kirito responded and the tom let out a small laugh.

"Right sorry. Anyway, your speed is incredible, Kirito. I don't think I've seen a cat that fast."

"Thanks, but I'm not the fastest cat you know. You haven't seen Asuna's speed."

"Isn't she out training with Nightheart, Molewhisker, and Alderpaw?" Dovewing asked.

"Yup, so maybe I'll get to see her and Suguha tomorrow." Lionblaze said. "Let's head back to camp. We can train some more some other time, but all in all, you did great today, Kirito." The three made their way back to ThunderClan, Kirito proud of his first day of fighting, and more.

When Kirito, Dovewing, and Lionblaze made it to camp, they saw that the fresh-kill pile was recently added to. Lionblaze saw his daughter, Sorrelstripe and when their eyes connected, he let out a smile.

"I'll see you both later. I'm going to see how Sorrelstripe's doing."

"See you later, Lionblaze." Kirito said before he left him and Dovewing alone. "So…Dovewing…" She let out a small giggle at his embarrassed sounding tone.

"Yeah?"

"Are we allowed to eat now? I'm actually a bit hungry from training."

"I'll need to ask Squirrelflight first. The elders, queens, and kits are fed first, so I'm sure she should know if they'd been fed." She informed him. Dovewing made her way over to the deputy and Kirito followed behind her. Once she noticed the two, she greeted them with a smile.

"Hi you two. How'd training go?" Squirrelflight asked.

"It went great. I lost though." Kirito replied. "Dovewing's a really good fighter, so I'm not surprised either."

"Well she was trained by Lionblaze, after all. Anyway, what can I help you two with?"

"Kirito's a bit hungry, so we're wondering if all the elders, kits, and queens ate already." Dovewing told her.

"They should be. Suguha and Asuna offered to take food to them once they got back, so help yourselves." The two gave the deputy a bow of thanks before heading over to the fresh-kill pile together. Once they were there, Kirito gazed at the different types of prey in front of him.

"What's your favorite piece of prey, Dovewing?" He wondered.

"Mine? I don't think I really have a favorite." She replied. "Are you still wary about fresh-kill?" He nodded. "Didn't you eat yesterday?"

"Yeah, but I actually don't remember what I ate. It wasn't bad though."

"Well that's a good mindset. I'd go with a nice mouse for you…" She slid one towards him with a forepaw. "…and I'll do the same." She picked up her mouse and Kirito did the same with his. "Follow me. There's a nice spot over there." Kirito followed Dovewing to a shaded area in the camp and they sat down with their prey in front of them. "There's not really a specific way to eat it, but just watch out for bones."

"Sounds easy enough." Kirito took his first bite, Dovewing watching to see his reaction. She could see a sudden glow in his eyes before he went in for another bite.

"See? It's good, isn't it?"

"It's great!" He replied, his mouth full of prey. After he swallowed, he wiped his mouth with a paw. "Sorry, it's just so good." Dovewing was glad to hear that he liked it and they continued eating. As they were, the two saw Asuna approaching them.

"Hey!" The cream she-cat greeted them with a smile. "How was battle practice?"

"It went well. Kirito put up a good fight, but I beat him." Dovewing told her, but Kirito shook his head.

"Because I was worried that I hurt you!" He responded. "To be fair though, that's my fault for letting my guard down."

"She did find your soft spot, Kirito." Asuna stated, the tom blushing. "He wouldn't hurt anyone if it was unnecessary."

"I think if he gets into a real fight with another cat not from ThunderClan he'd win. It's just that we're clanmates is all." Dovewing remarked. "Asuna, did you eat something already?"

"Yeah. Good thing Suguha and I are getting used to fresh-kill or else we'd be starving." She replied. "How about this one? I bet he was eager to eat."

"Actually…he was a bit wary still." Asuna looked at her boyfriend in shock.

"Really?" Kirito now had a blush on his face.

"Well that's the last time. If everything taste as good as this mouse then I won't be hesitating about fresh-kill for as long as I'm here." He assured her. "How'd your hunting go, Asuna?"

"It went…okay. I missed my first few catches, but after a bit I got the hang of it." She told him. "Suguha may have done a bit better than me."

"Last time I checked you were better at combat than most of us." Kirito commented.

"Hunting as a cat is a different story. You're also the one to talk about combat. You're the best at it, but it seems Dovewing might be better than you."

"I think you'll both get better at it with time." Dovewing told the two. "Oh, I just realized that I should probably leave you two alone for a bit, being a couple and all."

"Don't be silly. It's fine, Dovewing. I'm the one who walked over here, after all." Asuna insisted. "Besides, I can already tell that you two are great friends. Kirito has a knack for easily making friends." The tom began to blush in embarrassment.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. All the cats we've known from different worlds are easy to get along with. None of them have given us trouble." Dovewing took a few more bites of her mouse before it was completely finished. "Well, I should get going now. It was nice talking to you two."

"Same. See you later, Dovewing." Kirito replied, receiving a smile from the she-cat before she left the two alone.

"Do you think she wanted to give us some alone time? I told her it was okay." Asuna wondered, sitting down next to Kirito.

"I don't think so. She did finish her mouse and it's not like she was in a rush to finish it either." He replied. "But if that was the case…maybe I should go ask her."

"Please? I know she might not admit it, but you never know." She told him. Kirito got up and headed over to the warriors' den. When he walked inside he saw that Dovewing was sitting down with Suguha and Ivypool, talking. Dovewing looked up and saw Kirito at the entrance.

"Hi Kirito. Did you need something?" The she-cat asked.

"I was just checking to make sure you just didn't leave Asuna and I because you thought we wanted to be alone." He replied.

"Oh, well I just finished my mouse so I went to go talk with my sister, and Suguha was here as well so here I am. It's just a coincidence that I left, don't worry." She answered.

"Thought so. Anyway, sorry for bothering you three. See you later, Dovewing."

"Bye." Once the tom left, Ivypool looked over at her sister. "What?"

"Do you think he likes you?" She asked, causing Dovewing to blush.

"That's crazy! He and Asuna are already together."

"I dunno, he may be with Asuna, but he could like you, Dovewing." Suguha told her. "Do you like him?" Dovewing shook her head.

"He's a nice friend, but he already is with Asuna so my mind hasn't ever drifted that way."

"Oh, but it's okay that your mind is like that when I'm with Lelouch already?" Ivypool stated, causing her sister to become even more flustered.

"That's different! We both liked him at the same time, and…" She stopped when her sister began to giggle. "Ha, ha, very funny Ivypool."

"Sorry Dovewing, but I had to." Her sister apologized. "Anyway, I guess it's okay that you don't like him because you don't want to ruin what they have going on."

"But that still doesn't mean that Kirito doesn't at least have some feelings toward you, Dovewing." Suguha said. "That would be strange if he did, though. Usually he's not the one who starts off liking someone."

"That's how it works with Lelouch too." Ivypool added. "You like him too Suguha, right?" A blush covered Suguha's face and she looked down at her forepaws as she shuffled them around.

"I mean…he is pretty cute to be honest…" She admitted. "But I wouldn't try anything with him! You both have a daughter too, so technically he's off limits. I guess that would mean Kirito is as well."

"Wait, he has a daughter?!" Dovewing said in surprise.

"Well…in a way. Kirito and Asuna found her in SAO and she saw them as her parents, even though she was a program. They didn't 'make' her is basically what I'm trying to say." She clarified.

"Aw, sorry Dovewing." Ivypool told her, and Dovewing gave her a little push.

"Can you stop?" She asked with a small laugh.

"Sorry, sorry, but still, I don't think that it's impossible that Kirito likes you."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The moon now illuminated the sky above the forest. Dovewing took a small nap after she went out on border patrol with some of the other cats from the clan and now she felt a paw shaking her. Her vision was blurry, but as it became clear, she noticed the figure walked away. She closed her eyes, but after a few minutes she realized that she couldn't fall asleep again. She looked around but saw that the other cats inside of the den were sleeping. _I wonder who that was._ She looked outside of the den but only saw Squirrelflight standing outside. _It could've been Squirrelflight. Maybe I should go out and ask her._ Dovewing stretched and let out a yawn before walking over to the deputy.

"Hi Dovewing. How was your nap?"

"It was okay, but I felt someone shake me a few minutes ago. Was it you? Did you need me for something?" Squirrelflight shook her head.

"Nope. Actually, it was Kirito. He asked me if he could go out hunting so I told him to pick another cat to go with him so he could be safe since he doesn't know his way around the territory yet. I guess he tried waking you up."

"Oh…" Dovewing's voice trailed off, the she-cat feeling bad that she didn't get up to go out with her friend. "Where is he now?"

"He went out with Cloudtail. He overheard Kirito ask to hunt and offered to."

"That's nice of him." Dovewing said, letting out a yawn.

"You know, you should go back to sleep. You still seem tired."

"I am. I just wanted to know who tried waking me up. It was bothering me for a bit."

"I can imagine. Anyway, maybe you can make it up to him and go hunting in the morning when you both are fully rested." Squirrelflight suggested.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'd appreciate it. Thanks Squirrelflight. Goodnight." The deputy let out a smile and Dovewing walked back into the warriors' den to continue her slumber.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Kirito? Hey, wake up." The tom slowly opened his eyes to see Dovewing's green eyes looking down at him. "Good morning."

"Oh, hey Dovewing. Good morning to you too." He greeted her with a smile. "What's up?"

"Last night…Squirrelflight told me that you tried to wake me up so I could go hunting with you." A blush formed on his face and he looked away from her.

"Right…" Dovewing was confused. Kirito didn't come off as the type of cat to get embarrassed easily, especially for something like this. "Sorry about that Dovewing. I just would've felt comfortable if I went hunting with you. Don't get me wrong, Cloudtail and I had fun, but…I feel like we're better friends."

"I see. Well then let's go hunting then." She told him before exiting the warriors' den.

"Wait, right now?" Dovewing looked back at him.

"Of course! The hunting patrol left already, but that doesn't mean that we can't go hunting together." She assured him. Kirito smiled and got up from the floor of the den, stretching before he walked over to join Dovewing in front of Squirrelflight.

"There he is. Okay you two, make sure to be safe out there."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he comes back in one piece."

"What? I can take care of myself out there too!" Kirito exclaimed, causing the deputy to giggle.

"Thanks again, Squirrelflight. We'll be back soon." Dovewing took the lead and Kirito followed her. Once they were outside of the camp, Kirito walked next to her. "So, what'd you catch yesterday with Cloudtail?"

"I caught a mouse. It was okay in terms of size. Cloudtail caught one as well."

"Figures. Usually mice are the only prey scurrying around at night. Rarely will there be anything else." She told him. "Wait…"Dovewing sniffed the air and turned around once she caught sight of a squirrel. "Kirito, why don't you try to get that squirrel over there?" She whispered over to him. He turned around to catch sight of the prey. "Shhh…not too loud."

"Oh, right." Kirito slowly pressed his body low into the grass and crept up on the squirrel. It was still unaware of his presence. Once he thought he was close enough, he quickly lunged towards it, grabbing it in his mouth and finishing it off. He looked over at Dovewing and she let out a smile.

"Nice catch!" She jogged over to him and lifted a paw up as a form of a high-five, which he accepted. He dropped his squirrel and coughed.

"That's one fluffy tail!" He stated, causing her to giggle. "Hopefully I'll get to try this, but if any of the elders or queens wants it, I'll have it another day."

"That won't be a problem. There's plenty of squirrels in the forest and maybe the hunting patrol will catch one." She replied. "Okay, let's go find some more. Think you can carry something else?"

"Yeah, I think so." He said, picking up his squirrel. "Can we go and catch some fish in the lake?"

"Fish? Maybe if you went over to RiverClan you could, but it's not really part of our diet." She told him. "But…I guess we could go catch one if you want it. I'm not sure how the others would react."

"Maybe not. I don't want you getting in trouble if it's not something ThunderClan usually eats. The clan comes first after all. I think they'd appreciate a mouse though."

"Definitely." The two continued walking for a few minutes until Kirito stopped and sensed that a mouse was nearby. He looked over at Dovewing, and she shook her head. "It's all yours." Like before, Kirito got into a hunter's crouch and slowly crept up on the mouse. As he walked towards it, his left forepaw crunched a leaf and the mouse looked up. Now that it was alert, Kirito jumped forward, but the mouse darted away. Dovewing let out a small laugh.

"You'll have to watch out for leaves next time. I thought you were good at this." Kirito let out a small grin and he quickly leaped over to Dovewing when she wasn't looking. The two rolled around the grass and when they stopped, Kirito ended up on top of Dovewing, their noses inches apart, a blush covering both of their faces as they gazed into each other's eyes. "Kirito…can you…get off?" She asked, now averting her gaze.

"Y-yeah, sorry about that, Dovewing." He moved off of the she-cat. "I didn't hurt you, right?"

"What? No, no, I'm fine, really." She assured him. "Let's hope your little attack didn't scare away the rest of the prey." Dovewing teased. "Come on, we might need to walk deeper into the territory." Kirito walked back over to his squirrel and picked it up before walking next to Dovewing. In the next ten minutes, Kirito managed to find another mouse and successfully caught it, while Dovewing ended up catching a thrush and a vole. The two couldn't carry any more prey so they decided to head back to ThunderClan.

When the two arrived at camp, they dropped their prey off in the fresh-kill pile.

"Nice hunting out there, buddy." Dovewing raised her paw up and Kirito touched her paw with his own. "Just tell me whenever you want to go out hunting next time so I can be awake." She told him with a laugh.

"Yeah, I'll make sure to." He told her. "I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Yup. See ya', Kirito." Dovewing left the tom alone and he let out a sigh once she left.

"Kirito, how'd hunting go?" He looked to his left to see Squirrelflight.

"It went great. I caught that squirrel and mouse over there." He told her.

"Impressive. Hey, do you mind bringing some of the prey to the elders?"

"Oh, sure thing, Squirrelflight."

"Thanks. You might want to look and see what we have before you go and ask them what they want." She informed him. "Also, I hope you don't mind if I call you for help around the clan from time to time today."

"Not at all! I'm a warrior after all, right?" She nodded her head.

"Right. Thanks again, Kirito." He let out a smile before walking over to the elder's den to start his first task.

For the rest of the day, Kirito helped around the camp as requested by Squirrelflight. She didn't give him tasks immediately after he'd finish one, so he had time to rest. Sometimes, he would also be asked to go on border patrol or to go out hunting with some other cats, but no matter what he would be doing, he knew that his mind wasn't focused on the task given to him. When he'd go hunting he'd sneak up on his prey too fast, when he would be taught something, he'd immediately forget it and it showed when he was questioned. Kirito knew that he wasn't being overworked or anything, but he also knew that he wasn't himself at the moment either.

The sky was now dark above the forest and Kirito had just returned from hunting with Brackenfur, Blossomfall, and Hollytuft.

"It's okay, Kirito. Every cat has days where they don't catch anything, believe me." Hollytuft told him. "You did say that something was bothering you, didn't you? Maybe you should just rest for a bit then."

"Right. Thanks, Hollytuft. It's no surprise that you're Lionblaze's daughter." He told her with a small smile, causing a small blush to form on her face.

"Honestly, I think most of that's from my mom." She said with a small giggle. "Hope you feel better soon." Hollytuft left the tom alone and he decided that he would take her advice and rest. He walked over to Squirrelflight who turned to face him once their eyes met.

"Hey Squirrelflight. Do you mind if I go out for a bit?"

"By yourself? Do you want me to send a warrior with you?" He shook his head.

"No thanks, I just need some alone time. I know my way back here." He assured her.

"Okay then. Come back safe, okay?" He nodded and made his way over to the thorn tunnel to leave the camp. As he exited, Asuna approached the deputy.

"Squirrelflight, where's Kirito going?"

"I don't know. He said he needed some alone time. He hasn't been himself today. I hope I didn't work him out too much." Asuna shook her head.

"It's not you, I'm sure. He's always a hard worker, so if he's off then something is bothering him. Maybe I should go follow him." Squirrelflight stopped Asuna with her tail.

"We should probably leave him alone. Besides you don't know where he's going, so you might get lost."

"I guess you're right. If he needs some alone time, I should give it to him."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kirito rested near the lake shore, his paws softly moving the pebbles before them. He pushed a few into the water, the splash they made breaking the silence that surrounded him. _It's no use…even when I'm alone I can't…I can't get her off of my mind…_ He told himself. _I shouldn't feel this way since I'm already with Asuna, but…I can't help but be attracted to Dovewing…_ He let out a small growl and shoved more pebbles towards the water. _I've known Asuna for so long but I've only known Dovewing for a little under a week and…I'm even a mess over her…So bad that I needed time to myself._ Kirito couldn't help but ponder about the gray she-cat. He couldn't explain it, but there was just something about her that he made him unable to stop thinking about her. It was only worse because he was already with Asuna, but he knew better than to cheat on her, especially with everything they've been through. He did think that Dovewing was attractive, but over the past few days he got to know her more. _I even tried asking her to go hunting last night while she was asleep. It sounds so pathetic when I think about it._ He picked up a pebble with his paw and tossed it into the water. _She's just…amazing. I want to spend time with her more…but…Asuna…_ He shook his head and let out another growl of anger. Kirito then quickly turned around when he heard the rustling of leaves, but saw that there was nobody there. He sniffed the air and he sighed.

"Dovewing…how long have you been there?" He asked, becoming all too familiar with the she-cat's scent. He waited a bit until the bushes moved again and the she-cat walked out.

"Only for a while." She responded. "Are you okay, Kirito? Asuna was worried about you, so I offered to go look for you in case she would've got lost."

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." He replied. He could feel his heartbeat slowly begin to increase. He walked past the she-cat and headed back into the forest.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Back to ThunderClan." He told her.

"Kirito, wait." The tom turned around and met the she-cat's green gaze. "What's wrong? I know there's something bothering you."

"I can't…I can't tell you, Dovewing…" He softly answered, looking away from her.

"We're friends, right? Why can't you tell me?" She asked. "I want to help you, Kirito, I really do." She tried coaxing him into letting her help, but he shook his head.

"Because it's stupid. Don't worry about me Dovewing, please." He said before continuing his walk back to ThunderClan. She pouted before she decided to run in front of him to stop him in his tracks. She looked up at him, but he looked away.

"Please…" She begged. "I just want you back to your old self, Kirito." He sighed, and touched his gaze with hers.

"I like you…" He muttered, causing the she-cat to smile.

"Obviously. We're friends, right? I like you too." She responded.

"No, I don't mean it like that..." The tom sighed. "I mean...I love you." The she-cat's blue eyes widened, a blush now on her face.

"What?"

"Dovewing…I…I love you. I know that I'm with Asuna…but I just can't fight this feeling off."

"Kirito…" A blush formed on her face. She didn't think what Suguha told her the other day was possible. "I don't…understand."

"Being with you these past few days…I just loved getting to know you and be around you, Dovewing. You're an amazing cat but…I guess my heart just wanted to mess with me…" Dovewing was speechless. The other day she told her sister and Suguha that she felt no sort of bond greater than friendship between her and the tom in front of her…but now that he confessed his feelings to her she wasn't sure how to feel about him.

"I…I guess I'm sorry that I was the thing bothering you, Kirito." She apologized, but he shook his head.

"You don't have to be sorry. Like I said, it's my heart messing with me." He assured her. "We should get back to ThunderClan. I think telling you how I felt was the best thing to do." Kirito began walking and when he turned around to see if Dovewing was following him, the she-cat tackled him to the ground just like he did in the morning. This time, Dovewing ended up on top of Kirito and once their eyes connected she wasn't afraid to give his face a small lick, causing Kirito's eyes to widened in surprise at the action. When Dovewing moved away, Kirito looked up at her. "Dovewing…"

"I guess…I love you too, Kirito. Just like Lelouch, there's nothing to hate about you at all."

"You sure about that?" He asked with a smile, and she nodded her head.

"Positive." Dovewing knew that she was on top of Kirito, but a sudden embarrassment came over her and she quickly got off of him. "Sorry!"

"It's okay. We…won't tell Asuna about this, okay?" Dovewing nodded, but then turned her gaze away from him. "Is something wrong?"

"Another love that wasn't meant to be… Every relationship I want is never meant to happen. First Tigerheart, then I let my sister be with Lelouch…and now you, Kirito."

"Dovewing…I'm sorry. I should never have told you how I felt. I rather be the one bothered than have you add another love like that to your life."

"It's okay. At least you're feeling better now, right?" He nodded. "That's what I told you I wanted to do, wasn't it?"

"I guess so." He said with a small laugh. "We should get back to camp now. I don't want them worrying about you as well."

Kirito and Dovewing walked through the thorn tunnel and headed into camp, where Asuna was waiting next to Squirrelflight for them to return.

"There you are! Are you feeling better now, Kirito?" Asuna asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, Dovewing helped a bit." He told her, and Asuna looked over at the gray cat and smiled.

"Thank you, Dovewing." She said with a smile. "You know, you two look cute together." The two cats blushed, and Squirrelflight let out a giggle.

"I agree, Asuna." The deputy added. "Maybe you should stay around these two just to make sure."

"Squirrelflight!" Dovewing exclaimed, the blush on her face gradually increasing.

"I'm only kidding!" She replied. "You three should go and get some sleep."

"She's right. Let's go get some sleep you two." Asuna told them. "Goodnight, Squirrelflight." As the three were walking, Asuna looked over at Dovewing. "Dovewing, do you mind if I talk with Kirito for a bit? Alone?"

"Oh, okay." She looked over at Kirito before she made her way over to the warriors' den. Once she was gone, Asuna looked over at Kirito.

"What's wrong, Asuna?"

"Don't play with me like that. I know you like Dovewing." She told him, causing the fur on his face to grow hot.

"What? That's ridiculous! We're only friends, honest!" Asuna shook her head. "Asuna!"

"You're only making it worse, Kirito. You're acting like I'll do something to you if you did." She stated. "Just tell me the truth, Kirito." He looked into her hazel eyes and he sighed.

"Okay...we're…more than friends…" He muttered.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, Asuna. It's just…I've spent so much time with her and…" Asuna pressed a paw to his mouth to silence him.

"It's okay. I can see how much she means to you." She told him with a smile. "Don't think that we're not a couple anymore, though."

"O-of course!"

"Good. Just don't try to do anything crazy. You know Yui's not looking for a playmate or anything."

"A-Asuna!" The tom was taken aback, causing her to giggle. "Geez, I would never think of doing that."

"You sure?" Kirito pouted, and Asuna touched his nose with a paw. "I'm just teasing you, Kirito. Why don't we go get some sleep?"

"Right." The two headed over to the warriors' den and carefully made their way to their spot on the floor. "Asuna, I'm really sorry that I'm not fully loyal to you when I should be." He whispered over to her.

"I told you it was okay. You're always around girls, so I can't say I expect you to be fully loyal…no offense."

"It's okay, I deserve that."

"Alright, let's get some sleep. You'll need to be rested if you want to spend time with Dovewing tomorrow." A blush appeared on his face and Asuna giggled. "But I expect more time with me because of it."

"Y-Yeah, of course, Asuna!" He assured her. She pressed her body closer to his, causing the tom to smile. _I really am a mess when it comes to this relationship stuff._


	4. Not Part of My Plan (Ivypool x Lelouch)

Welcome back to the next extra story in my Warriors series! Now, this one takes place in Turn 1 of Everlasting Miracles and is pretty much the rest of the story, but in Ivypool's point-of-view. This is a pretty lengthy one, but don't expect the rest of this side stories to be as long as this one. I hope that you all enjoy.

Not Part of My Plan

 _Ivypool rested down on_ her nest in the warriors' den. Firestar had just sent out a border patrol consisting of Lionblaze, Dovewing, and Graystripe, and the hunting patrol he sent out already returned to fill up the fresh-kill pile. Without an apprentice, or a sister to talk with, there was nothing much for her to do. She suddenly heard the sound of many of her Clanmates outside, causing her to look out of the den. In the middle of the camp, she saw Firestar, along with her sister and the other two cats she was out with, but this time, there was also another cat as well. He had black fur and from what she could see, mysterious violet eyes. She had never seen such a thing before. _Could he be a kittypet? No, he has no collar…so he must be a loner. I'll probably just wait for Dovewing and talk with her about this._ She padded over back to her nest and waited for her sister to enter the den. Dovewing entered the den minutes later, the she-cat walking over to her sister.

"Who is that? Did you just find him on patrol?" She asked.

"Yeah. His name's Lelouch, and apparently he's not from this world! He had no idea about the Clans, and he didn't even know how to walk properly. He was almost like a newborn kit, to be honest." Dovewing let out a giggle.

"Dovewing…don't you think that's a bit hard to believe?" The two heard Whitewing, their mother, speak.

"He's really harmless. Lionblaze could've probably harmed him, but Graystripe and I were able to convince him."

"And here's the warriors' den." They looked towards the entrance to the den and saw Graystripe, Lionblaze, and Lelouch enter. Lionblaze went on naming each and every warrior, Ivypool giggling as she saw the tom trying to keep up with him. _I can imagine just hearing all those names at once. It'd be such a nightmare._ She saw Dovewing get up and walk towards the three toms. Ivypool then watched as Dovewing returned, Lelouch standing next to her.

"You must be Lelouch. I see you've got walking like a cat down." A small blush formed on his face, causing her to smile. "I'm Ivypool, Dovewing's sister."

"It's nice to meet you, Ivypool." He bowed his head towards her, but was startled when Lionblaze gave him a small shove.

"Hey, you should meet my sister too. She's over here!" Lionblaze urged him. Ivypool gave him one final glance before he was taken away.

Once Lionblaze and Graystripe finally introduced Lelouch to every cat in the den, they left, making their way over to the medicine cat's den to meet Leafpool and Jayfeather.

"So…what do you think about him?" Dovewing wondered.

"He seems nice. From his eyes, I think I can tell that he's not from anywhere in the forest."

"Yeah. I don't think I've ever seen a cat with violet eyes, until now, at least." They looked over at Whitewing, concern in her green eyes. "Do you still not trust him?"

"It's not that…It's just that if he is from another world, we can't be sure about his intentions. Dovewing, Ivypool, be careful around him." She looked over at Birchfall, giving the tom a sudden nudge.

"Y-Your mother's right!"

"You don't agree with her, don't you?" Ivypool questioned her father.

"I really don't see how you can think he'd cause any harm, Whitewing. He was practically still struggling on his paws." She let out a sigh.

"It must just be my motherly instincts kicking in." She looked over at her daughters. "Regardless, be safe you two."

Night struck throughout the forest. All of ThunderClan was ready to go to sleep, Ivypool curling up in her nest. She was waiting for her sister to come back. _She's been gone most of the day walking around the forest with Lelouch, Graystripe, and Lionblaze. I can't imagine how frightened mother is right now._ She looked over at where Whitewing was and saw that both she and Birchfall were sound asleep. _I take that back._ She saw Dovewing enter the den along with the three other toms.

"There's some room over here, Lelouch." Dovewing called the tom to follow her. She got into her bedding next to Ivypool, but moved over to make room for Lelouch to sleep.

"Thanks." He began to lie down in the bedding, but his flank suddenly brushed past Ivypool's, a blush forming on his face. "S-Sorry about that, Ivypool." The tom apologized.

"I-It's okay, Lelouch. This den is pretty cramped sometimes." She created more room for the tom. "Is that better?"

"Yeah. There's still some room if you need it." He told her. Ivypool moved closer towards him until their coats touched. She felt her face suddenly grow hot.

"Sorry!" She moved a bit farther away from him. "Sorry if you're ready to go to sleep, but I was wondering how you're liking ThunderClan."

"Oh, well everyone here must be nice. I'm only saying that from my experience with Lionblaze, Graystripe, and Dovewing…oh, and you as well, Ivypool. I haven't really gotten a chance to know everyone here, but I'm sure I will eventually."

"I'm happy to hear that." She replied. "Thank you for the compliment, by the way. I know we haven't really gotten to know each other much, but I'm sure you're a nice cat, too. Some cats here are a bit wary."

"Like mother." Dovewing added.

"It's all understandable. I'm sure that this is the first case of having a cat from a different world, so being cautious of me is fine. I just hope I can change it to trust." His ears suddenly fell flat. "Your parents are asleep, right?"

"Yeah, why?" The pale gray she-cat asked.

"It's just…I'm sleeping between you both. I don't want them…"

"Okay, we get it!" Ivypool stammered, both sisters blushing. "Let's just get to sleeping now."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Ivypool woke up the next morning and saw that Lelouch was already awake, the tom not in the den anymore. She stretched her legs before walking out of the warriors' den, soon greeted by her sister.

"Good morning, sis."

"It won't be as good once mother talks with you."

"It's Lelouch-related, isn't it?" She nodded, causing Ivypool to sigh. "He really isn't a problem at all!"

"I've told her that already, but maybe you telling her the same thing will do something." Ivypool looked over to where Whitewing was and made her way over to her.

"Ivypool—."

"Mother, Lelouch really doesn't mean any harm." She told her before she could speak. "I know you're worried and want to protect us, but if he does anything, Dovewing and I can handle him, really."

"I know you think he's nice and friendly, but what if that's just for now?" She questioned. "Plus, you don't know how it feels seeing a tom sleeping between your two daughters when you wake up in the morning." A blush formed on Ivypool's face.

"W-We didn't do anything with him! I would never think about it, either!" She assured her. "If you find him threatening, why don't you talk to him?"

"Because watching is enough. I don't have a reason to speak up yet." She meowed. "Ivypool, I really am just doing this for your safety."

"I know, but…you're really worrying over nothing." Ivypool broke away from Whitewing, letting out a sigh of annoyance. _Sometimes she treats Dovewing and I like we're still kits. I know she means well…but I'm positive that Lelouch isn't a threat at all._ She made her way back into the warriors' den and saw Lelouch sitting with Lionblaze, Dovewing, and Graystripe.

"Oh, hey Ivypool." Lelouch greeted her. "Sorry that Brambleclaw's only bringing three pieces of prey. I didn't know where you were."

"Wait, our deputy's bringing you prey?"

"Excuse me." She turned around and saw Brambleclaw walk in, Berrynose following him. They both dropped their prey down, and once Brambleclaw did, he shook his head. "What the?" He looked down at the prey. "What's going on here? Are the elders and kits taken care of already?"

"They're fine! Brambleclaw, I'll explain everything!" Firestar called from outside the den. The deputy walked out, leaving Berrynose with a look of surprise on his face.

"I'm not sure what you all did, but you've got to tell me sometime." He told them before leaving the den. Ivypool saw the fresh thrush, vole, and squirrel in front of them.

"Lelouch, how did you do that?" Lionblaze questioned.

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to say anything, but I have this power called Geass." Ivypool watched as the tom's eyes suddenly changed, losing their violet hue, a red symbol now inside of them. "It allows me to command anyone to do as I say, but I can only use it on the same cat once. Firestar wanted to see how it worked and I ended up asking Brambleclaw to catch you three some prey." His Geass disappeared, Lelouch's eyes reverting back to their violet state. "Again, sorry for not telling him to bring one more piece of prey."

"It's nothing, really. But you know, you need to eat something too." She retorted.

"She's got a point. I'm sure we can share something with you. Take your pick." Graystripe offered.

"I guess this day had to come eventually." He looked down at the prey, still hesitant. "Why don't you all eat first? I'll take some after."

"Well okay then." Graystripe took a bite of the squirrel. "You really don't know what you're missing." He looked over at Dovewing and Lionblaze and saw that they were both eating as well. He looked over at Ivypool, the she-cat letting out a smile.

"What do you recommend me trying?"

"I mean, you can't go wrong with any of them. Maybe a mouse would be a better start for you." Graystripe took another bite of his squirrel before pushing it towards him.

"It's really good. Try it." Lelouch looked down at it in disgust.

"But…all the fur on it…"

"It's not crowfood, y'know. You'll have to eat something if you want to survive." Lionblaze urged him after he swallowed the piece of vole in his mouth. Lelouch inched closer to the squirrel and took a fresh bite from it. He drew his face away from it and slowly began to chew.

"See? It's not bad, right?" Ivypool asked.

"I mean…it's not bad…but not good either." He responded. "I guess that each piece of prey tastes different?"

"Yup. Sorry, I should've left you some to try." Dovewing apologized, but he shook his head.

"It's alright. I'll have to eat again today anyways, right?" As they were finishing up, Brambleclaw stood at the entrance to the den. "Sorry about using my Geass on you, Brambleclaw."

"It's fine. Firestar told me everything. Just don't try and force any cat to hunt for you anymore." Lelouch let out a laugh.

"Dutifully noted." Lionblaze looked over at Brambleclaw.

"Is there anything you need cats for right now?"

"I have two more spots left for a border patrol."

"Want to go?" The golden tom asked Dovewing.

"Sure. Do you think we can bring Lelouch too?"

"It's fine. I was thinking that I could stay here and get to know more of the Clan cats here."

"I'll be here keeping him company." Graystripe added.

"Okay. We'll see you all later then." Lionblaze, Dovewing, and Brambleclaw left the warriors' den to attend to their Clan duties, leaving the rest of them.

"I should probably go get something to eat now." Ivypool stated.

"I'm really sorry about that, Ivypool." Again, the tom apologized to her, but she shook her head.

"I told you, it's okay." She assured him, letting out a small laugh. "You both have fun." Ivypool left the two toms and made her way over to the fresh-kill pile. _See? Mother's worrying about nothing. He really is sweet. There's no way that he has any evil intentions, I know it._ She picked up a mouse from the fresh-kill pile and found a place in camp to eat it. _The only bad thing could be that he goes to the Dark Forest in his dreams, but that's highly unlikely. Then again, so is finding a cat from another world. I guess I could look for him the next time I go…_ She let out a small growl. _Great, now all of mother's worrying is getting to me._ She took another bite of her mouse. _But I'm positive that's not the case._ She looked over back at the warriors' den. _Please let me be right about that._

After finishing her mouse and talking with Cinderheart, Ivypool made her way back to the warriors' den. As she was about to enter, she bumped into Graystripe.

"Just the cat I wanted to see. Listen, Cloudtail asked me if I wanted to go hunting, so I was wondering if you wanted to take my place in keeping Lelouch company."

"Yeah, sure. You go have fun."

"Thanks, Ivypool." The silver-and-white tabby entered the den and saw Lelouch sitting there by himself. As she walked over to him, he heard her pawsteps and turned his violet gaze towards her.

"Are you the replacement Graystripe was telling me about?"

"That's me." She replied before sitting across from him. "So…did you get to know any more cats here while I was gone?"

"Yeah. I met Blossomfall, Mousewhisker, and Thornclaw. They all seemed interested in the fact that I was from a different world, other than worried about the fact, which is a good thing."

"Yeah." Ivypool brought her gaze up to his. "Lelouch…can I ask you something…strange?" The tom tilted his head in confusion.

"What is it?"

"I was just wondering...Ever since you got here, have you been having strange dreams. Like, do they take place somewhere that looks…scary, to say the least."

"The only dream I've had here so far was last night, but it was to talk with my friend, C.C. It was dark, but definitely not scary." He answered. "Why do you ask, Ivypool?"

"Because…there's a place that some cats go to in their dreams and train with evil cats…myself included." She told him. "When you train there…all the injuries you sustain are apparent when you wake up. Some cats have even died there."

"So…why are you there, then? You're definitely not evil."

"I was brought there to train initially, but now I act as a spy to help the Clans. These cats want them destroyed."

"That's very brave of you, Ivypool. Luckily you're still alive despite risking your life." A small blush formed on her face.

"Thanks. It's really scary, but if it helps the Clans, it's worth it." She turned her gaze away from him. "Sorry for thinking that you were there, too. I don't think you're evil at all, Lelouch, but…I just wanted to steer you in the right direction in case…to keep you safe."

"Oh…well t-thank you, Ivypool." He stammered, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "You know, you asked me if I got to know some cats, but I don't think we've actually gotten to know each other that much." The fur on his face began to grow hot. "I-I mean that in a friend sort of way, of course!" He quickly assured her.

"Y-Yeah, I knew what you meant!" She responded, a small blush on her face. "I guess I've told you something about myself already, so it's your turn."

"Right. Let's see…" The tom pondered for a moment. "I should probably explain why I've been brought to this world, which, come to think of it, should probably be explained when I tell cats that." Ivypool let out a giggle. "Back in the world I'm from, I actually died in order to bring peace to the world."

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that you needed to do such a thing."

"Don't be. It was actually all a part of the plan I thought up. I made the world hate me, and I took all the hate with me when I died. I'm not actually sure why I ended up in this world, but I've been granted immortality, so when I died, I was brought here."

"So you're like a Clan leader, but with infinite lives?"

"Yeah, I guess. How many lives do leaders have?"

"Nine."

"Just like the expression." Ivypool tilted her head. "Oh, back in my world, it's a saying that cats have nine lives."

"Oh, okay." Ivypool shifted her forepaws. "So…what exactly are you, Lelouch? Like, back in your world. It can't be a cat if you barely knew how to walk when you got here."

"Right. Back in my world, I was a human. I'm not sure if you have those here. At least, I haven't seen any."

"Actually, I don't know what that is. Can you describe them to me?"

"Well, they have two arms, and two legs." He stopped when the she-cat let out a small gasp.

"Y-You're…a Twoleg?"

"I...I guess if that's what you call them." Ivypool's eyes widened in shock. _He's a…Twoleg? Was mother right in being wary about him?_ "Ivypool?" She snapped back into reality.

"Sorry, it's just…a bit to take in." She meowed. "Clan cats aren't really fond of Twolegs."

"Thought so. I can understand your uneasiness." He responded. "Luckily you're the only cat that I've told that to so far."

"R-Really?" He nodded his head.

"Yeah. I thought you wouldn't be as scared as some of the others would be."

"Lelouch…I'm sorry for being like that."

"Ivypool, it's okay, really. Like I said, I can understand why you reacted that way. Don't worry about it." He assured her. She touched her gaze back to his.

"I…guess it is a bit interesting. I'm sure being a cat helps ease up to you a bit more too." Lelouch smiled.

"Definitely. Actually, there is another secret that Firestar told me today. You'll be the first to hear that one too."

"I should feel honored, huh?" _I didn't think he'd be opening up this much to me. I'm really happy that I'm getting to know him more._

"I mean, I'm not trying to sound arrogant about it. Anyway, Jayfeather apparently received a message from this place called StarClan that said I was destined to help the Clans."

"That means you really are one special cat, Lelouch. StarClan is where deceased warriors live. They help us by giving medicine cats prophecies. The fact that they told Jayfeather about you means you're destined for something big. You should feel proud."

"Here's hoping I can live up to their expectations."

"I know you will. You already have friends here willing to help you every step of the way, after all." Ivypool noticed a pair of shadows hovering over them and looked to see that they belonged to Lionblaze and Dovewing. "Oh, hey you two. What's up?"

"Where's Graystripe? I thought he was supposed to keep you company." Lionblaze questioned.

"He was asked to go out hunting. I told him it was okay and got Ivypool as a replacement." Ivypool smiled.

"I was glad to keep you company, Lelouch. You're a really nice cat."

"So are you. You're really brave as well, Ivypool. I can't imagine doing what you do in your dreams." He responded, causing her to blush. "Anyway, did you two need me for something?"

"We asked Firestar, and he said it would be beneficial if we gave you some combat training." Dovewing said.

"Combat training? I'm not the most physical type of cat…but if the Clan leader told me to, I should probably do it." Lelouch got up on his paws. "Ivypool, would you like to come with us?"

"I would, but the Clan might need some cats for something. You never know." She replied. "Thanks for offering though." Lelouch gave her a quick smile before leaving towards the clearing with Dovewing and Lionblaze, Ivypool watching them as they headed towards the camp entrance. _StarClan, please tell me that this isn't actually happening…not this quickly._ Ivypool only spent today getting to know Lelouch, and yet, she could already feel herself start to develop feelings towards him. _There's just…something about him. He seems naturally calm and serious most of the time, but he also had a gentle and sweet side, too. But, now's not the time for any of this, especially with the Dark Forest attack slowly approaching._ She saw Whitewing enter the den, causing Ivypool to roll her eyes.

"Where's Dovewing going with Lelouch and Lionblaze?" She asked.

"They're both going out to train him." Ivypool responded. "Mother, Lelouch really is a nice and innocent cat. You don't need to worry about him."

"I thought you'd say that. You and him both seem to be getting close, especially with the time you just spent talking with him. The same goes for your sister, too."

"You were…spying on me?!" _Why am I acting surprised? It should've been obvious._ "Regardless, I'm positive he's here to help the Clans. He told me that Jayfeather had a prophecy saying that he'd do so."

"How do you know he's not lying?" Ivypool hit the ground with a paw.

"Why can't you just accept the fact that he's not going to hurt me or Dovewing? If you want proof, let's go talk with Jayfeather or Firestar about him." Ivypool got up and exited the warriors' den, Whitewing behind her. She saw Brambleclaw standing in the clearing and walked up to him.

"Can I help you, Ivypool?"

"Is Firestar busy right now?"

"He shouldn't be. Why?" Ivypool didn't answer and just headed up to the leader's den, her mother trailing behind her. She entered and saw that Firestar was resting down on his bedding.

"Ivypool, did something happen?" He saw Whitewing enter the den.

"Where are your manners, Ivypool?" The white she-cat bowed her head towards Firestar. "I'm so sorry about her. I'm sure she won't do it again."

"Whatever she did, it's alright." His green gaze turned towards Ivypool. "Now, what's going on?"

"Can you please tell her that Lelouch is here to help the Clans and that he won't hurt any of us? He's my friend and I just want her to be able to trust him and not worry." Firestar let out a small smile.

"Your daughter is right, Whitewing. I'm sure he told her about the prophecy Jayfeather got about him. Lelouch was brought here to help us. You have nothing to worry about." He assured her.

"Right. Thank you, Firestar." The two walked out of the den and made their way down back to the clearing. Whitewing turned to speak with her daughter. "I guess I owe you an apology, Ivypool."

"It's not your fault. I know you were just looking out for Dovewing and I, especially with everything going on in our lives already. I should be saying sorry for acting up when I was aware of it." Whitewing gave her a lick to the ear.

"Let's just both agree that we're sorry." Her daughter nodded. "So, you and Lelouch are already friends? I'm happy to hear that. If he's meant to protect the Clans, maybe he'll be there to protect you when you need it." A blush formed on Ivypool's face.

"If it comes to it, I hope so. I just hope Lionblaze and Dovewing train him well enough before anything happens."

An hour passed ever since Lelouch left to go train with Lionblaze and Dovewing. The three had returned back to camp with fresh-kill in their jaws, Firestar joining Lelouch to pick up the rest of their catch. Ivypool sat outside in the clearing, talking with Blossomfall. As they were, Dovewing walked up to the two, both she-cat's turning their attention to her.

"I don't mean to interrupt you both, but I need you for something, Ivypool."

"Oh, alright. I'll be back, Blossomfall." The two sisters left the tortoiseshell and made their way over to the warriors' den. "What do you need me for, sis?"

"I wanted you to explain the Dark Forest to Lelouch. Firestar told him about it and now he's curious."

"I guess I did tell him somewhat about it, but didn't really refer to it by name." Ivypool realized. The two walked into the warriors' den and Ivypool made her way over to where Lelouch was. "Lelouch, Dovewing told me that you want to know more about the Dark Forest?"

"Yeah, if that's okay."

"Well, I actually told you all about it today when we were talking." She answered. "The Dark Forest is where I go to spy."

"So…Clan cats are being trained to kill their Clanmates?" Ivypool nodded.

"They don't know that. They believe they're just going through some sort of special training. I wish I could tell them…but I don't want to put any cat in danger."

"Right. I still can't believe that you take that much of a risk. You really do deserve some sort of praise, Ivypool." A blush formed on her face.

"Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Cinderheart, and my sister give me enough praise, but I really do appreciate yours too, Lelouch." She meowed. "When the times comes…I hope that you stay safe, Lelouch, especially since you're new to this world." Ivypool could feel her heartbeat slowly begin to increase as she looked back at the tom.

"I promise that I will. I was trained by one of the best, so I've heard." He assured her, causing the she-cat to smile.

"Well, I should get going now. I'll see you all later." Ivypool exited the warriors' den, making her way back to where Blossomfall was.

"So, what was that all about?" The she-cat asked.

"Oh, Dovewing just wanted me to tell Lelouch about my first ever hunt." She lied.

"I wish she asked me to come over too, then. He's really one cute tom." Blossomfall admitted. "You're lucky to have spent so much time with him. Surely you think he's handsome, right?"

"W-What? Of course not! I'm just helping him feel more at home in ThunderClan, that's all."

"And you don't feel any sort of way about him?"

"I only see Lelouch as a friend, that's it." Ivypool hoped that the feelings she had towards the tom weren't becoming apparent to the she-cat.

"What if he has feelings towards you?"

"Please, that's ridiculous! There's no way he does!" _What if he does feel some sort of way towards me? No! He's originally a Twoleg for crying out loud! Any feelings that I have are from me alone. There's no way that he has any feelings other than friendship towards me._

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ivypool padded frantically around the ThunderClan camp the next day. Firestar, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Dovewing, and Lelouch all went out to speak with the other Clan leaders and medicine cats, the battle with the Dark Forest quickly approaching. She saw Firestar, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather return, but there was no sign of Lelouch or her sister.

"Lionblaze, are you sure that they're okay?" Ivypool asked the golden tom.

"Yeah. There's no threat for them to worry about out there. Your sister knows the way back." He assured her.

"Then what's taking them so long to get back here? Something had to slow them down." Ivypool could suddenly feel her chest tighten. "Lionblaze…do you think that they…like each other?"

"Like each other? You mean like, more than friends?" She nodded her head. "It's possible. Out of every she-cat here, you and her both are the closest to him." A sly look formed in his eyes. "You're not…jealous, are you?"

"N-No! I was just wondering what you thought about it!" She responded, the she-cat clearly flustered by his statement. The tom suddenly ran off towards the entrance to the camp, Ivypool following once she saw that it was because Lelouch and Dovewing had just entered the camp. "Dovewing! Lelouch!" The two watched as she approached. "I was worried about you both! Where were you?"

"We got a bit lost in the forest." Lelouch told her, but Ivypool knew that it was a lie.

"Well the good thing is that you're both okay." She told them before looking over at her sister. "Dovewing, can we talk?"

"Oh, sure. Lionblaze, does the Clan need anything to be done?"

"Not that I know of. Some cats are just training to be prepared for tonight." Lionblaze responded. "I'm sure it's fine if you both talk. Actually, while you do that, why don't you train a bit with me, Lelouch?"

"Alright. I'm sure it won't hurt." The two toms left the sisters alone once they left to train.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Dovewing asked her sister.

"Is there…something between you and Lelouch?" She noticed her sister immediately become flustered.

"W-What makes you say that?" She stuttered.

"You both were 'lost' together. There's no way you don't know your way back to camp."

"Well how about you? I think, no, I _know_ you like him." Now, Ivypool was the one embarrassed. "We were actually talking about you on our way back here." Ivypool looked at her sister in surprise.

"What did he say?" She heard her sister let out a laugh, causing her to become more flustered. "Dovewing!"

"I'm sorry, Ivypool, I lied." She admitted. "You really _do_ like Lelouch, don't you?" Ivypool could tell her sister was onto her. She hadn't told anyone about her sudden infatuation with the tom, but if anything, letting her sister know was safe. Ivypool gave her sister a nod.

"I just…there's so much to like about him. He's so thoughtful and…I feel appreciated when I'm talking with him. I know he's not a cat originally, but…I can't help feeling this way towards him." She confessed. "Does he know that I like him? I don't want things to be awkward between us."

"I've teased him about it, but he did say that you were nice."

"Really?"

"Do you not think that you are?" Dovewing said with a giggle. "Lionblaze and Cinderheart were there when he said it." Ivypool smiled. It still wasn't clear if the tom knew about how he felt about her, but knowing that he said she was nice was enough to make her happy.

"Sorry, I know I shouldn't be smiling about something like this when the Dark Forest is attacking tonight." She could see her sister turn her gaze away from her. "Dovewing?"

"Yeah?"

"You seemed off. Is everything okay?"

"I just wish…Tigerheart was more like you." She stated. "Lelouch and I arrived together because he found me talking with him. He went to the meeting and stayed hidden to talk with me. All he talked about was us, but I wish he was like you and realized that now wasn't the time to put his feelings forward."

"Oh. Well I'm sure everything will be fine after the Dark Forest battle."

"Lelouch told me something similar." She told her. "Maybe you both are meant to be together. You should ask him after the battle."

"I don't know, Dovewing. I really would be fine just being his friend and not risking it."

"But you'd be even happier being his mate." A blush formed on Ivypool's face, causing her sister to let out a snicker. "Why don't we get something to eat? We'll need to be at our best for tonight."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Birchfall, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker are gone! We couldn't find them anywhere!" Cloudtail yelled as he ran back into camp. Night had finally fallen, and now three of ThunderClan's warriors were missing. Ivypool had told Brambleclaw that they were training with the Dark Forest. Worry filled her mind about her three Clanmates. She couldn't just sit here and do nothing.

 _I can find them! I have to!_ Ivypool ran towards the warriors' den and made her way over to her nest. She got down quickly on her bedding and closed her eyes.

"Are you going to the Dark Forest?" Her blue eyes opened and saw Lelouch, the tom following her into the den.

"I have to, Lelouch. It's the only way I can find Birchfall, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker." She told him. "I want them to be safe."

"R-Right. I just…don't forget that your life means something too, Ivypool." She sensed a hint of remorse in his voice. The tom was concerned about her.

"I'll be okay, Lelouch; I promise." She quickly curled back up into her nest and closed her eyes, the she-cat attempting to resume the suicide mission she was currently on. She began to see her vision materialize, but it suddenly turned black, the she-cat opening her eyes and seeing that she was back in the warriors' den. She looked over and saw that her sister had prodded her awake.

"Dovewing, I was trying to dream!"

"There's no time. The Dark Forest is approaching now! We have to tell Firestar!" Ivypool, Dovewing, and Lelouch made their way towards their clan leader and saw that ShadowClan warriors had just entered the camp.

"There you three are." Lionblaze said as they joined him and Firestar in greeting the three cats.

"Oakfur, Smokefoot, Snowbird, it's good to see you." Firestar greeted them.

"They're coming, Firestar!" Dovewing quickly told him.

"The Dark Forest cats?" Dovewing nodded.

"I can't tell where they're coming from!"

"Wait…do you all hear that?" Lelouch asked. They all stopped and heard the sound of paws getting closer and closer.

"There's no time to lose. Sorreltail, Thornclaw, Spiderleg, make your way to ShadowClan, now! Whitewing, Berrynose, Hazeltail, go to WindClan! Foxleap, Toadstep, Rosepetal, go to RiverClan!" As Firestar was issuing commands, Ivypool snuck away from the rest of the cats, the assembly of them providing easy cover for her. She made her way towards the dirtplace tunnel, irritation under her fur. _I needed to get to them before the battle started! Now…I have to go out there and find them._ She waited for an opening before leaving the dirtplace.

"Stay with Brambleclaw and guard the camp!" Firestar commanded before Ivypool heard a torrent of pawsteps leave the camp. Still worried, she waited a while longer before she finally made her way out of the camp.

"Ivypool?" She jumped when she heard Brambleclaw's meow. "Shouldn't you be with Firestar?" She turned to face the tom, who was standing below a rowan tree. He knew she trained in the Dark Forest, but did he trust her?

"I'm going out to find Blossomfall, Mousewhisker, and my father." She admitted.

"Do you know where they are?" He asked, slowly moving closer to her.

"I wish, but…I want to find them before…"

"Before they betray us?" She sensed resentment in his meow.

"They won't, I know it! They're just scared because Brokenstar promised to kill anyone who doesn't fight alongside him." The deputy placed his muzzle on her head.

"Go find them, Ivypool."

"Really?" He drew his head away from her and nodded.

"Yeah. I actually saw you leave while Firestar was talking and assumed it's what you were doing. I had to convince Lelouch to stay with Firestar, actually, for his safety. I could tell how much you mean to him." A blush formed on Ivypool's face. "Anyway, you should get going now. I'm counting on you."

"Thank you, Brambleclaw! I'll try my best!" Ivypool deftly turned around and darted towards WindClan. Screeches already rang through the forest from the moor, the she-cat quickened her pace until she reached the stream that marked the border between WindClan and ThunderClan.

"Ivypool." A cold meow sounded from behind her. The she-cat unsheathed her claws and turned around. From the brambles, she saw Tigerheart walk out.

"Tigerheart. Where are you going?" She asked, leaping over the stream to keep away from the tom. She still wasn't sure where his loyalty lied. "You know the battle's begun, right?"

"Hawkfrost told me to meet him here."

"Are you part of his group?"

"Are _you?_ " He questioned.

"I'm not sure…I haven't been given any orders." She lied. _Tigerheart, whose side are you on?_

"Hawkfrost will tell you what to do once he arrives." Ivypool couldn't wait any longer. She had to find her Clanmates. She began to move through the bracken. "Where are you going?"

"I have to fight! The battle's already started!" She yelled as she continued her advance.

"But you don't know your orders!"

"Yes, I do." She stopped and turned to face Tigerheart. "I'll fight and Dark Forest cat, just like Firestar demanded. That includes any Clan cat mouse-brained enough to side with them!"

"What? I thought the Dark Forest warriors were your Clanmates now?" He stepped closer to the she-cat. "You've trained this hard, right?"

"Yeah, but I know which cats deserve my loyalty and protection. I'll die before I fight alongside Brokenstar and Hawkfrost." Tigerheart let out a growl before barring his teeth.

"You might have to. You remember what Brokenstar said." Ivypool's icy, cold gaze touched Tigerheart's amber eyes.

"I don't care."

"You sound just like Dovewing." He spat. "Does protecting Lelouch really mean that much to you?"

"Dovewing and Lelouch have nothing to do with this!"

"She chose her Clan over me, and I can tell how much he means to her."

"Because it's the right thing to do! You should put your Clan first and protect your friends that mean so much to you! Has being in the Dark Forest made you forget about the warrior code? About what it means to fight to protect your allies?"

"I haven't forgotten _anything_." Ivypool's gaze touched his one final time before she ran off, continuing her search for her Clanmates.

"Blossomfall! Birchfall!" She yelled.

"Ivypool!" The she-cat heard her father's voice. She saw him by a patch of windswept gorse and made her way towards him. She saw the other two ThunderClan warriors with him, their eyes filled with fear. The yowls of battle continued to rage on, some of them now shaking.

"We can't attack Clan cats, no matter what." Blossomfall whispered.

"Which is why we're not. We're going to protect the Clans." Her father looked over at her.

"Did you know that this was going to happen all along, Ivypool?" She nodded her head.

"Yes. I didn't say anything because I was spying. I really wasn't sure about who I could trust, so I stayed silent about it."

"It's okay. We know how dangerous it is. We all should've discovered it sooner." Birchfall stated. "What do you propose we do?"

"We fight just like Brokenstar anticipated, but for the Clans. We know all the Dark Forest moves and how to counter them. We're their worst enemy." A new scent filled the air. "Applefur?" She called as she scented the ShadowClan cat. As she exited the heather, Breezepelt, Thistleclaw, and Snowtuft followed behind her.

"There you all are! Listen, we're going to attack WindClan." Breezepelt told them.

"But Hawkfrost told us to meet with him."

"Yeah, he'll be attacking from the other side." Thistleclaw added.

"Oh, I didn't know. Let's get going then." Ivypool and her Clanmates followed the patrol. She looked back at them. _We just need to play along. Please tell me you all realize that._ As they were walking, Ivypool could feel the ground become slimy, the rancid air adding to the changing landscape. _The moor's turning into the Dark Forest! We can't let_ _that happen!_ The group climbed to the top of the moor and looked down below. They saw the WindClan camp filled with fighting cats, but it was easily apparent that the Dark Forest cats outnumbered the Clan cats. Would Ivypool watch as some of them fought for their last breath? She looked towards the other side of the camp and saw Hawkfrost, along with Tigerstar. _This is not the time to panic. I have to do this._

"Attack!" Thistleclaw commanded once Hawkfrost gave the signal. Snowtuft chased after him, Blossomfall following them. As Applefur was about to run and join, Ivypool stopped her.

"Applefur, you have to fight for the Clans! Please tell me you know that."

"B-But if I don't…"

"I know you're scared, but surely you realize dying to protect the Clans is better than having Brokenstar as a leader." She stated. "You're a warrior now and forever. The warrior code states that we must put our lives on the line for our Clanmates, and now they need us more than ever." Worry still filled the she-cat's eyes, but she finally gave Ivypool a nod.

"You're right. With everything that I've done, my life for theirs is a small price to pay."

"I'm glad you understand, but now isn't the time for guilt. Fight with valor and loyalty. That is all your Clan wants from you." Applefur ran towards the WindClan camp, Ivypool trailing behind her. She now looked for Breezepelt. She quickly scanned the camp, hoping to find him as fast as she could before he did anything rash. She finally caught sight of him following Thistleclaw. As he was about to attack a WindClan cat, Ivypool sprang towards him, causing him to tumble across the ground.

"Breezepelt, you can't fight for the Dark Forest, you know that!"

"What are you talking about? This is what we've trained for!"

"You have to know inside that it's not right!" Pain suddenly coursed through her as she stumbled back, claws raked across her cheek. She saw that it was from Thistleclaw.

"Traitor!"

"You're wrong!" She spat. "I've fought for my Clan for my entire life. I only went to the Dark Forest to help them!" As she said that, her whole body went stiff as Hawkfrost now stood next to Thistleclaw, Snowtuft joining them. Ivypool was surrounded. Snowtuft quickly darted past her and swiped at her flank, causing her to quickly jump back. She regained her footing and immediately leaped towards him, digging her claws into his shoulder and hurling him backwards, the tom snapping at her neck. She swiftly evaded the death blow and bumped into a dark tabby. _Tigerheart!_ She looked over at him. "Are you my enemy too?" She hissed at him.

"I'm a _warrior_ , and that's all I'll ever be." He used his hindlegs to kick Thistleclaw, knocking away and staggering the tom. "Dark Forest cats don't belong in _Clan_ territory!" Ivypool used her sudden second wind to push Snowtuft away from her.

"Then why were you in the Dark Forest?" She called out, gazing around for who would attack her next.

"You're not the only cat able to spy." He responded as he rolled under Thistleclaw and knocked him off of his paws.

"But, you're Tigerstar's kin!" Thistleclaw spat as he got back up.

"That doesn't mean I want to be like him! I want a future where ShadowClan thrives, and I won't let him take that away from me or my Clanmates!" Hawkfrost let out a yowl.

"I'll deal with this pathetic excuse of powerful kin!" He launched himself towards Tigerheart. "You both deal with Ivypool!"

Claws raked across Ivypool's shoulder, causing her to stumble. Snowtuft and Thistleclaw both began to swipe their paws towards Ivypool, the she-cat getting up on her hindpaws and swinging her forepaws towards them as she slowly moved back towards the camp wall, but she suddenly slipped on the wet ground below. Luckily, she rolled as Snowtuft tried to attack her and got back to her paws. She was all alone now, separated from any allies she had.

 _Is this it? Will I ever see ThunderClan again? Dovewing? Lelouch?_ The two cats kept swiping at her, pushing her farther and farther back. The camp slowly faded into the darkness as she realized Thistleclaw and Snowtuft blocked her only escape route, gorse with thorns surrounding her.

"Hawkfrost!" Thistleclaw called out. She then watched in horror as the tom walked into the small clearing.

"Ivypool, did you honestly think you'd be alive still after betraying me? No, I'm sure you knew that, but some pathetic heroism suddenly sparked into you." He looked at the other two cats. "Let's make her death slow. She deserves every bit of torture." He jumped towards Ivypool, knocking her back so hard she lost her breath, the she-cat trying her best to breathe. She felt claws rake her spine, and soon after, teeth and claws penetrating her coat. _I won't die…not without taking you with me!_ Ivypool roared and shook the other two cats away from her. Hawkfrost looked at her in surprise.

"You're lucky to have been trained by me, but against me…that's the last thing you want." He growled, his eyes locked onto the she-cat's throat. Ivypool leaped back, swiftly evading his pounce towards her. However, his claws stabbed into her tail and pinned her down on the ground, Ivypool letting out a yowl of pain. Back on their paws, Thistleclaw and Snowtuft attacked from both sides, slicing her ear. As she backed away, she felt herself touch fur and realized too late that Hawkfrost was now standing behind her. His claws pierced her shoulders, Ivypool watching as the tom bared his teeth. _No…not like this…Not when things were left unsaid…_

"Get off of her!" Ivypool was suddenly free and now saw Hollyleaf next to her. She knew now wasn't the time to thank her. Ivypool turned her attention to Thistleclaw and Snowtuft. Ivypool wasted no time in her onslaught of slashes, remembering every moment of her training to strike with precision, Hollyleaf matching her strikes as well as the black she-cat fought beside her. Blood began to splatter on the forest floor as the battle raged on. She knocked Thistleclaw back with her hindlegs before she bit Snowtuft on the neck. He let out a cry of pain before struggling away from her grasp. Blood now coated the she-cat's fangs as she watched the tom run away.

"Ivypool!" She suddenly heard a tom yell out her name, causing her to turn around to see Thistleclaw inching closer to her. Before either of them could do anything, she watched as another black flash jumped into the battle and blindsided Thistleclaw. Her eyes widened when she saw that the tom who had saved her was Lelouch. She watched as he furiously clawed at Thistleclaw's belly, blood now coating his paws and claws. With a hard strike, Lelouch stabbed his claws into the gray cat's neck, Ivypool watching as he disappeared, Lelouch now panting for his breath.

"Lelouch…" The she-cat was still at a loss for words. She never would have expected Lelouch to make his way here, especially by himself. Her past bravery now shifted into fear, her eyes glistening as she looked at the tom.

"I'm glad you're…" He stopped when Ivypool rushed over to him and cried into his coat.

"Lelouch, I was…so scared! Hollyleaf came to save me…but I didn't know that you'd come too. I…can't thank you both enough!"

"Ivypool…you don't know how relieved I am to see that you're safe. I promised Dovewing I'd bring you back, but…I don't know what I'd do if I broke that promise." He pressed his muzzle to her head.

"Lelouch…" The two looked over at Hollyleaf, Hawkfrost nowhere to be found. "Thanks for…helping Ivypool…" The black she-cat began staggering before falling to the ground.

"Hollyleaf!" The two cats ran to her side and they saw the deep wound on her neck, blood continuously flowing from it. "Lelouch, she's dying! We have to get her back to ThunderClan!"

"Right. We'll carry her together." Lelouch carefully pulled up half of her body on his back, and Ivypool took the other half. Once they had her, they began making their way towards ThunderClan. "Why'd you leave the camp?"

"I went to find Birchfall, Blossomfall, and Mousewhisker. I needed to make sure they were safe." She replied. "You came to save me…I still can't believe it."

"I'm as surprised as you are. I'm not the most agile cat out there." He stated. "But, I'm glad I was tonight. If only I got here sooner you'd not have so much wounds…and Hollyleaf might even be okay." He looked over at the she-cat. "I'm sorry, Ivypool."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. The fact that you're here…you don't know how much that alone means to me… Both you and Hollyleaf saved my life tonight. I'll never be able to thank you both enough. I just hope I'll be able to tell Hollyleaf that."

"I hope so too." He looked around at his surroundings. "This is a different Clan's territory, isn't it?"

"It's WindClan's." She responded. "We should go a bit faster. We can't let Hollyleaf die, we just can't!" _We'll get you home, Hollyleaf…I promise._ They quickened their pace towards ThunderClan until they saw a tabby pelt jump out of the gorse nearby and walk towards them.

"Ivypool, let me help!" They both saw that it was Tigerheart, and Ivypool could feel Lelouch's uneasiness, the tom letting out a snarl.

"Lelouch, it's okay. He was training with the Dark Forest for the same reason I was." She explained, causing his worry to leave him.

"Oh. I apologize, Tigerheart."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but what matters is that we work together to get Hollyleaf back to ThunderClan. It's the least I can do for Ivypool." He stated as he got between them both. Together, the three continued on their trek to ThunderClan. "You know, you're the last cat I expected to see here, Lelouch. How'd you manage to even get here?"

"I just followed Ivypool's scent. Granted, I had to be sneaky, but here I am."

"You're lucky to still be alive, especially with one of the worst Clan battles going on and not exactly being from this world." He stated. "I guess poking you nose in places can be a good thing sometimes." Ivypool saw no reaction from the tom.

"If you're trying to start something, you don't care that Hollyleaf's life is in danger right now." Lelouch coldly responded. "If you're still bitter about me finding you and Dovewing earlier today, that's fine, but don't waste your time arguing with me right now." Tigerheart scoffed.

"He's right, Tigerheart. You said it yourself that getting Hollyleaf to ThunderClan is what really matters." Ivypool told him.

"Right. Sorry about that." The tabby apologized.

"It's alright. I know how much Dovewing means to you, so I get that your personal feelings can sometimes speak out for you." Lelouch replied. "I promise that there is nothing between me and her. As a friend, I just wanted to make sure she was okay, really."

"Maybe to you, but I can tell that you mean more to her than a friend…" Tigerheart stated. Ivypool felt her body suddenly become tense being reminded that her sister could also have feelings for the tom she was affectionate towards. She knew that the battle was more important, but being reminded that put more stress on her mind. Before Lelouch could reply, Ivypool spoke.

"Let's just stop talking and quicken our pace, for Hollyleaf's sake, please." The two agreed and continued their silent journey back to ThunderClan.

Ivypool, Lelouch, and Tigerheart made their way closer to ThunderClan, their destination finally in sight. They pushed on until they saw the barrier of the camp. As they were walking, they saw Dovewing jump out of a hole in the thorn wall surrounding the camp. The gray she-cat noticed Hollyleaf on their back.

"Jayfeather, Leafpool, it's Hollyleaf! She's hurt!" She called out before making her way towards them. "Ivypool, thank StarClan you're alright!" She saw the wounds on her sister, but Hollyleaf was the only one critically injured.

"Please…get Jayfeather…"In a matter of seconds, Firestar ran out of the camp, Jayfeather behind him.

"I'll bring her inside. Tigerheart, do you mind helping?" The ShadowClan warrior shook his head, and the ThunderClan leader took Ivypool and Lelouch's spot and brought the critically injured warrior into the camp, Jayfeather following behind. Once they were gone, Dovewing looked over her sister and Lelouch, their fur mottled with blood.

"What happened to you both?"

"We were attacking the Dark Forest at WindClan. Lelouch, Tigerheart, and Hollyleaf all came to save me, but Hollyleaf…I don't know if she's going to make it…" Ivypool's voice was filled with sorrow.

"If only I got there quicker…Hollyleaf would still be okay." Lelouch stated, averting his gaze away from the two.

"You did the best you could, Lelouch." Ivypool assured him, pressing her body closer to his.

"My best wasn't good enough then…" He broke away from Ivypool and Dovewing and entered the camp, leaving the two saddened by his tone.

"I hope he'll be alright." Dovewing meowed. She looked over at her sister and could see the pain in her eyes. "Are you okay? Should we go over to the medicine cat's den to treat your wounds?"

"I'll be fine…I just…Lelouch doesn't need to blame himself for what happened to her. If anything, it's my fault for putting Hollyleaf and him in danger to save me."

"Now you're just taking the blame." Dovewing responded. "Ivypool, you know how menacing the Dark Forest is. There was no doubt that lives would be lost in this battle."

"I know that…but…I just wish it wasn't true." Dovewing gave her sister a comforting lick.

"We all do, but you need to keep your mind clear, especially since this battle is far from over." She advised her. Dovewing took another glance at her sister. "Let's go and get those wounds checked out." The two entered the camp and headed over to the medicine cat's den. When they entered, they saw Jayfeather and Leafpool looming over Hollyleaf's body, trying their best to help her.

"How is she doing?" She asked them. The only thing she received was Jayfeather shaking his head. "No…she can't die, not because of me!"

"I-Ivypool…" The she-cat looked over at Hollyleaf, her green eyes barely open. "N-None of this…is you or Lelouch's fault… I-I'm just…glad to see…that you're okay…" Hollyleaf's breathing was slow, the she-cat trying to make every last breath count. "I…know how much…you both mean to each other…and I couldn't bear…seeing either one of you in…my condition…"

"B-But what about Leafpool, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather? They all love you so much!"

"I…I've always had the best….relationship with my brothers…and I'm just happy to have…gotten to know my mother ever since I came back. I think…that's all I've ever wanted in life…" Ivypool looked back at Leafpool and Jayfeather.

"You have to save her! She saved me from Hawkfrost!"

"Hawkfrost…did this?" Brambleclaw looked over at the she-cat.

"Hawkfrost…" Ivypool heard the name escape Lelouch's mouth coldly.

"I wish I could've helped…but I was dealing with Thistleclaw and Snowtuft…and then Lelouch came to help me. We both wish things could've been different…we really do."

"You both carried her back here. There was nothing else that you could do." Dovewing assured them. Her body then suddenly stiffened. "Firestar, the Dark Forest has reached the woods!"

"Right. Everyone, prepare for attack!" Firestar demanded.

"Hollyleaf, Hollyleaf!" Leafpool shook her daughter, but there was no response. Her head fell onto the moss below, her eyes finally closing.

"She lost too much blood from her wound. We couldn't do anything." Jayfeather's paws shook at the thought of his dead sister on the floor in front of him.

"Hollyleaf's…dead…" Lelouch muttered. Ivypool could feel the hurt in his meow. "I'm…sorry…" The tom's ears fell flat before he turned and walked out of the medicine cat's den.

"Lelouch, wait!" Ivypool called out. "I have to talk with him." She told her sister.

"Go to him. He needs you, Ivypool." The silver-and-white she-cat exited the medicine cat's den and she saw the black tom. Once she caught up with him, she noticed the ground below him absorb his tears.

"Lelouch…"

"The prophecy…it wasn't talking about me…I know it…"

"What are you talking about? You're the one who can help bring peace to the Clans."

"How, Ivypool?" He spat, causing her to flinch. "I wasn't able to get there in time to save Hollyleaf! How many more cats are going to die because I couldn't arrive in time to save them?! In my world…I was a savior…but here…I'm nothing."

"Lelouch, that's not true at all! Over the past few days you've learned how to train to fight like a warrior, and you also have your Geass as well. Think about the lives that you've saved already…like mine." The tom looked into her blue eyes. "You saved my life tonight…and I'll forever be grateful for that. By killing Thistleclaw, you've saved other lives from being lost as well. I believe, no, I know that you're the savior that the Clans have been blessed with. Firestar knows it, Dovewing knows it, Lionblaze knows it…and Hollyleaf believed in you, too." Ivypool felt strange speaking to Lelouch like this. She knew she had feelings towards him, but right now, no sort of embarrassment showed in her speech or her face. Regardless, she knew she was helping the tom, and that's all she cared about, feelings or not. Ivypool watched as Lelouch got up and walked over to her, the tom now resting his head on her shoulder.

"Ivypool…thank you." The she-cat now pressed her head onto his shoulder as well.

"It's no trouble at all. I…care about you so much, Lelouch. I couldn't let you carry your sadness during all of this." She brought her head away from him and once their eyes connected, Ivypool could feel her face begin to grow hot. "W-We should get going now. The Dark Forest cats will be here any minute."

"Right." The two headed over to where Firestar and the rest of the cats were, awaiting the incoming threat. They watched as the Dark Forest cats began pouring into the Clan.

"Lelouch, go guard the nursery!" Firestar commanded.

"But he's just one cat! Someone should…" Bumblestripe was stopped when he was tackled by a Dark Forest cat.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Ivypool saw his violet gaze touch hers one more time before running over to the nursery.

"Everyone else, attack!" Ivypool jumped into the fray, followed by Dovewing and Cinderheart. The three fought valiantly together, fending off as much of the Dark Forest cats that they could. They suddenly became outnumbered, the three being pushed towards the medicine cat's den. To their luck, Lelouch blindsided the group of Dark Forest cats, pinning one to the group. His sudden intrusion was enough to create an opening for the she-cats, who now to the fight back to the Dark Forest cats. As Ivypool was fighting, she couldn't take her eyes off of Lelouch. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought that he was a cat his whole life, his attacks and dodges being brought to life after all the training with Lionblaze. She continued fighting her current enemy, a dark tabby tom, throwing away any worry about the tom. She dodged every blow coming at her with grace, counterattacking with ease. Suddenly, she heard Lelouch let out a yowl of pain and watched as one of the Dark Forest cats dug its claws into his shoulder. That was enough to distract her and cause the tom to pin her to the ground.

"You should worry more about your own life than your friend's!" He spat as he raised a paw up, ready to strike. Ivypool used the opportunity of his loosened grip to roll out of his grasp, causing the tom to lose his balance, the she-cat swiftly getting back to her paws. Once she was, she wasted no time in pouncing towards the cat and biting into his neck as hard as she could. She felt his body fall limp and she dropped him down to the ground, the lifeless body fading away shortly afterwards. She turned her attention back towards Lelouch, but was relieved when she saw that Dovewing and Lionblaze were both now helping him. Once they chased them off, she ran over to them.

"Lelouch, are you okay?" She asked, looking at his blood-soaked shoulder

"I'm okay. It could be worse." He responded.

"He flinched when I touched it." Dovewing whispered.

"Badger!" They heard Blossomfall cry out.

"Midnight!" Firestar greeted her. "Don't worry, she's on our side." He assured the other cats.

"Well, that's a relief. We already have these Dark Forest cats to deal with." Firestar looked over at Lelouch's injury. "Lelouch, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It hurts, but I can manage. I don't want to use up Jayfeather's resources." Lionblaze shook his head.

"You're not wasting anything. You're part of ThunderClan now, and you always will be. You should go before…" Lionblaze was suddenly knocked onto the ground by Breezepelt.

"Breezepelt, no! Why are you siding with the Dark Forest?" Ivypool called out to the black cat now on top of Lionblaze.

"Who said this had anything to do with them?" He told her before looking back at Lionblaze. "You should never had been born. You may think we're kin, but in my eyes we're not. You see your dead sister over there? You're about to join her!"

"No!" The others watched as a black pelt ran towards the two and tackled Breezepelt off of Lionblaze. "Don't you dare harm him!"

"That's Crowfeather, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Breezepelt's father." Dovewing told Lelouch.

"So Leafpool had another kit?" Dovewing shook her head.

"He has another mate in WindClan, I think her name's Nightcloud." The two watched as father and son were now in conflict with each other.

"Why do you care about him so much? I knew you hated me!"

"That's not true! Nightcloud's the one who made you think that. I should have done something about you sooner, but it seems like you've chosen the Dark Forest." He unsheathed his claws and raised one paw up, ready to strike Breezepelt. "I wouldn't sink as low as to kill my own kin." He got off of Breezepelt. "Get up, and get out of my sight." They watched as the tom ran off, leaving ThunderClan.

"Thank StarClan Crowfeather was here to stop him." Ivypool stated.

"It's funny you should say that." Dovewing told her, bringing her sister's attention towards the StarClan cats now joining them in their battle with the Dark Forest. "I'm going to go help the elders. Lelouch, please get that shoulder checked by Jayfeather." With that final remark, Dovewing left the two.

"You really need to go see Jayfeather, Lelouch. Don't be ashamed of it. It's a sign of your hard work showing that you're fighting to protect ThunderClan." Lelouch let out a smirk.

"You know how to persuade me, don't you?" He slowly stood up, Ivypool helping him. "You'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah. Can you walk over to Jayfeather yourself?"

"I can manage."

"Okay." Unexpectedly, Ivypool gave Lelouch a lick to his left ear, a blush now forming on his face. "Be safe." Ivypool ran off, now joining the rest of her Clanmates in fighting off the impending threat.

The battle raged on from where Ivypool was, but from the look of things, ThunderClan was winning. There were only a few Dark Forest cats around, but for the most part, they were the ones who were now outnumbered. _We're winning! Thank StarClan this is all going to be over soon._

"You killed her!" Ivypool turned around at the sound of Lelouch's voice. She watched in horror as he leaped towards Brokenstar, only to get shaken off. She ran over to where Dovewing was, looking down at Lelouch as he panted for his breath.

"Lelouch, are you okay?" Dovewing asked the tom, concern in her meow.

"I'm…fine." Once he got back to his paws, Lelouch lunged towards the cat again, only to be knocked back before he could do anything. Ivypool watched him struggle to get back to his paws.

"Lelouch…just stay down…please…" Ivypool begged.

I…can't. Ferncloud…it's my fault that she's dead." Lelouch got back to his paws, his legs shaky. She then watched as his violet eyes became encompassed with Geass.

"Lelouch, stop!" Firestar called out. "I'll deal with Brokenstar."

"Please, when I'm done with you, nothing will be left to go to StarClan!" Firestar ran towards him, but even the ThunderClan leader was tossed to the ground much like Lelouch. "Give it up, none of you will be able to defeat me!"

"That's enough!" From behind Brokenstar, Yellowfang ran towards him and grabbed his throat in between her teeth. Once she heard the crack of bone, she simply dropped his body down and the others watched as it faded away.

"Brokenstar's…dead? Retreat!" Darkstripe, a former ThunderClan cat who now lived within the Dark Forest, yelled. They watched as all of the Dark Forest cats fled from the camp. Moonlight now penetrated through the dark clouds above.

"It's finally over…We did it." Ivypool meowed. She watched as Lelouch made his way out into the moonlight where Ferncloud's body was. Her gaze softened as she looked at the tom. _Lelouch…it wasn't your fault…_ She saw Dustpelt now walk over to where Lelouch was.

"Get Jayfeather! Anyone! Please!"

"There's nothing we can do." Firestar walked over to join the two. "She died protecting the kits from Brokenstar."

"Maybe she'd still be alive if someone was here when we needed him most!" He shot a glare at Firestar, but turned his attention over to Lelouch when he began to speak.

"It's…my fault. I told the queens that I'd keep an eye on them…and I…I'm sorry, Dustpelt…"

"Sorry? Is that going to bring Ferncloud back? Last thing I remember hearing about you Lelouch is that you're supposed to be a savior to the Clans, but you couldn't even save one cat?! How can you save us all? Some savior you are." Ivypool hit the ground with a paw, causing her sister to look at her.

"Ivypool…"

"It's not fair! Lelouch has tried his best to do everything tonight, but he still feels at fault for everything!"

"I know, it's horrible, especially with the expectations given to him. It doesn't help that he's not from here either." Her sister added. "That's just the cat he is, Ivypool, you know that." They brought their attention back to where Lelouch was, Firestar now sticking up for the tom.

"Dustpelt, that's enough! Lelouch has tried his hardest to help us tonight, surely you…"

"No, Firestar, he has every right to be mad at me. He lost Ferncloud, and my negligence towards the nursery was the cause of it." Lelouch stared directly at Dustpelt. "I know my apology will never be enough, but I promise that I'll avenge Ferncloud and the others I failed to protect." Firestar placed his tail on the tom's shoulder.

"There's no need; the battle's over."

"Not quite…" Every cat turned around at the sound of Brambleclaw's voice. As the deputy entered the camp, they saw that he was dragging Hawkfrost along with him. "I found him trying to escape." Anger consumed Ivypool. Standing right there was the cat who killed Hollyleaf. He was the one who tried to take her life. Letting out a growl, she leaped out of the crowd and onto Hawkfrost, knocking the tom to the ground.

"You killed Hollyleaf! I'll never forgive you! I'll kill you, you murderer!" Ivypool began recklessly striking the tom's head, trying her best to stay on his back. Hawkfrost whipped his body around forcefully, knocking Ivypool back to the ground. Adrenaline quickly fueled her back to her paws and she pounced towards the tom again, this time digging her claws into his shoulder. She gave him no chance to be on the offensive. Hawkfrost had to die, there was no question about that to her. Like before, Hawkfrost wriggled her off of him, but this time he quickly planted his forepaws on her spine, stopping her from moving.

"You murdered all the trust I had towards you! Now, I'll make sure you suffer the same fate that our trust did!" He moved one paw down to her head, pressing it deeper into the ground. "Now your whole Clan will watch you die!" She continued trying to struggle, but the more she did, the more pressure he added to her skull. Her blue eyes gazed up at him, Ivypool still trying to fight away from his grasp. _No…he can't be the last cat I see…I can't die here…_ Hawkfrost lifted his other paw off of her spine and raised it up, readying for the killing blow. As it closed in on her throat, Ivypool suddenly felt the pressure on her head disappear, Hawkfrost no longer in her sight. She lifted her head up and saw that Lelouch had him pinned to the ground.

"I won't let you kill her! I won't allow another life to be taken by you!" Hawkfrost kicked the tom off, knocking him into the air. He landed back on his paws, his angered violet gaze now locked onto the enemy.

"Lelouch, don't do it! I can't see you die!" Ivypool cried out.

"You should listen to her! You're not a Clan cat at all!" Hawkfrost spat.

"The only thing that matters is that you killed Hollyleaf! I'll fight to avenge all the lives that were lost, and if that means risking my life, so be it!"

"Your pathetic bravado won't win you this fight!" Ivypool watched as Hawkfrost ran towards Lelouch, immediately taking the offensive and assaulting the black tom with a flurry of blows. He dodged them with skill and lashed out whenever the opportunity appeared. Regardless, Ivypool could still feel her heart race. She knew what Hawkfrost was capable of. One mistake on his part and Hawkfrost wouldn't be shy to jump onto the opportunity. _StarClan…please protect Lelouch…_ She prayed silently. She watched as Lelouch continued backing up, avoiding any of Hawkfrost's attacks. Her heart jumped when she saw Lelouch leap towards Hawkfrost and pin him to the ground, immediately planting blow after blow onto the tom's face. Hawkfrost lashed out at him, but Lelouch ignored any pain and continued his onslaught of hits. Soon afterwards, he began to strike at Hawkfrost's belly, inflicting even more pain onto the tom. He wanted him to suffer just as much as Ivypool did.

"Stop, I give up! Please!" Ivypool heard Hawkfrost begging for his life to be spared.

"No…you don't deserve to live, Hawkfrost. Your life ends now!" Lelouch planted his claws deeper and deeper into the tom's neck until he watched the life disappear from his eyes. Now, Lelouch stood in the middle of ThunderClan, panting for his breath as Hawkfrost finally disappeared. Ivypool couldn't believe it. He was actually able to beat him. Her blue eyes began to glisten before she ran over to the tom.

"Lelouch!" She caught him by surprise as he now had her crying into his shoulder. "I was…so worried about you!"

"I'm just glad that you're okay, Ivypool. I couldn't see him take another life…especially yours." She looked up at his face, scratched and battle-ridden.

"Are you okay, Lelouch?"

"W-Was it what I said?" He stammered.

"No, I mean, your face."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. The battle's finally over now."

"Not yet." Ivypool turned her gaze over towards the medicine cat's den. Right next to it was Tigerstar. "Firestar, I've been waiting for this moment."

"Tigerstar, the battle's over!"

"You think so, kittypet? The Dark Forest is endless, and I'll be the one to lead it all to the Clans' demise!" Firestar walked closer to his nemesis.

"You're far from being considered a leader, Tigerstar. You're a coward who lets his Clanmates fight while you watch."

"Warriors live to fight. I give them a reason to do so." He responded. "They all helped me get to this point. They helped me reach you so I could kill you, Firestar! It's all I've ever wanted to do!" He said manically. "After that, I'll send the rest of these 'warriors' to StarClan, and then kill them there!"

"I won't let you lay a single paw on any of my warriors. You'll have to get through me first if you want to do that."

"Just the words I wanted to hear." Tigerstar leaped towards the ThunderClan leader and penetrated his shoulder with his claws. "Ever since you came to ThunderClan I became nothing! Now I finally have the chance to gain the ultimate retribution!" Ivypool watched as Lelouch tried to jump into the battle, only to be stopped by Whitestorm.

"This is Firestar's battle. I know he can win." He assured the black tom. Ivypool walked over to him and placed her tail on his injured shoulder.

"Lelouch…you're in no condition to fight. You agitated your shoulder too much while fighting Hawkfrost." She brought her tail away, blood now coating the tip of it.

"But…I'm the savior that StarClan brought here…" He objected.

"You've been a part of the fighting before this. That's more than enough to be called a savior." The white tom stated. Ivypool saw Lelouch sit himself back down to watch the fight, but she could tell that it didn't sit well with him.

The battle between Firestar and Tigerstar continued, each cat fighting the hardest that they ever did in their lives. Ivypool had never seen such a thing before. Both cats were reaching their limit, blood coating their faces as they panted for their breath. Tigerstar struggled to keep on his paws, and so did Firestar. The ThunderClan leader was weak, but he gave his body one final push, sprinting towards Tigerstar and leaping towards him, his fangs aimed at his neck. With one final deep bite, Tigerstar's body fell limp before finally fading away, his final drops of blood on Firestar's paws. Ivypool jumped as a bolt of lightning struck a tree beside Firestar, quickly being set ablaze, smoke now blocking the Clan's view of the ThunderClan leader. Each cat cried out the leader's name, hoping that he was still okay after the hard fought final battle. The dark clouds above finally began to empty, rain drizzling down and withering the flames.

"It's finally over…" Lionblaze meowed.

"Firestar!" Sandstorm ran over to the leader's fallen body once the smoke disappeared. Ivypool placed a paw over her mouth in shock. Firestar had finally lost his final life.

"He's dead…isn't he?" Ivypool looked over at Lelouch, sorrow in the tom's eyes. She nodded her head.

"He didn't waste his life, though. Like all of us, he didn't care if risking his life meant protecting ThunderClan. He didn't die in vain." She noticed that unlike before, he wasn't as distraught. _Perhaps what Whitestorm told him changed him._ She glanced over to where Dovewing was and saw that she was next to Bumblestripe. _Have you figured out where your heart belongs, Dovewing?_ She broke away from her thoughts once she heard Brambleclaw let out a howl of victory.

"Everyone! The battle's over, and our victory goes to Firestar! May StarClan keep him safe."

"I assure you that we will." Ivypool noticed Bluestar, ThunderClan's former leader, along with other ThunderClan cats now residing in StarClan, begin to surround Firestar.

"Who are they?" Lelouch wondered.

"They're all the cats who gave Firestar his nine lives." Jayfeather explained. "Redtail gave Firestar the life of courage. Silverstream gave him a life of loyalty. Brindleface gave him the life of protection. Swiftpaw the life of mentoring. Yellowfang gave him compassion, Lionheart gave him courage, and Runningwind gave him tireless energy, which Firestar used to protect his Clan."

"Even though she isn't in StarClan anymore, Spottedleaf gave him a life of love. And I gave him a life of nobility." Bluestar announced.

"Wait, why isn't Spottedleaf with StarClan anymore?" Lelouch asked.

"She died protecting me." Sandstorm told him, causing the tom to let out a gasp. Ivypool placed her tail on the tom's shoulder.

"Lelouch, you can't blame yourself for her death. Spottedleaf wanted to protect Sandstorm, and she was willing to give her life in StarClan away to do so."

"Ivypool's right. Please don't feel like it was your fault that Spottedleaf no longer resides with us." Bluestar explained, placing her silver tail on the tom's other shoulder.

"Wait…how do you know my name?"

"StarClan watches over all the Clans. You are a part of ThunderClan, after all." She stated. "I was the one who knew of your prophecy."

"You are?" She nodded. "So…was this fight where I was to become a savior to the Clans?" She shook her head.

"I can't say. Do you feel like you've been a savior to the Clans?" She asked.

"I don't."

"But Lelouch, you really have been." Dovewing told him, walking over to her sister's side.

"You know you have, Lelouch. You didn't need to learn how to live in this world and fight for us, but you did anyway." Ivypool added.

"You've been a leader in your past life, so I'm sure you know some casualties are inevitable." The cats turned around to see Firestar's spirit behind them. "Don't put the blame all on yourself, Lelouch. Look, none of the other cats are angry at you." Ivypool looked around the camp at her fallen Clanmates. She saw Hollyleaf look back at her and the black she-cat let out a smile. _Hollyleaf…I'll never forget you…I promise._ "If you ask any of us, we'll all give you the same answer in saying that you were a savior to the Clans." Lelouch's eyes began to glisten, and he nodded his head.

"Thank you, Firestar. I'll continue to help this Clan and the others for as long as I'm here." The ThunderClan leader nodded his head.

"Right. I'm happy to hear that."

"Come, we must leave now." Bluestar told him. "StarClan will continue watching and protecting you all for as long as we thrive. Whenever we need to light the darkness, we'll be here." The StarClan cats all walked towards the thorn barrier in the shadows, and Ivypool watched as they disappeared from their view.

"It's all over…" Sandstorm let out a small gasp and looked over at Brambleclaw. "That means…Bramblestar!" Brambleclaw looked at her, and his eyes widened when he realized the new name she called him by.

"Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" The whole Clan cheered for the new leader.

"I promise that I will continue Firestar's legacy and lead this Clan to its fullest potential. I know that StarClan, and my Clan itself will help guide me through everything." He then looked over at Squirrelflight. "Will you be ThunderClan's new deputy?" Squirrelflight looked at him with a bit of shock. "I don't trust any cat more than I trust you."

"I accept." She told him with a nod. "I'll make sure to do this Clan, and my father proud." As the Clan continued cheering, Ivypool saw Cinderheart, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather walking over to join her, Dovewing, and Lelouch.

"Well, we did it. We finally beat the Dark Forest, and we have a new leader and deputy." Cinderheart meowed.

"Yeah. When the moon falls, the sun always rises." Jayfeather told them. "Firestar may have died, but we all know he died for his Clan, and so did all the other cats." He placed his tail on Lelouch's shoulder, much like Bluestar did, as a way to assure him.

"You fought valiantly, Lelouch. Just like a true ThunderClan cat. You even have the wounds to prove it." Lionblaze said, letting out a small laugh.

"Yeah…I'm not the prettiest sight at the moment, but luckily I learned how to fight from the best."

"I don't mean to brag, but you're right on that one." Cinderheart gave Lionblaze a small shove. "Ow, what was that for?"

"For being so cocky still." She then gave his ear a lick. "But I wouldn't change it ever." A blush formed on the golden tom's face.

"Anyway…it looks like we all have a Clan to fix tonight." They all looked at the aftermath of the Clan.

"Right, and injured cats. Make sure you come to me if you need anything." His blind gaze touched Lelouch's eyes. "Don't think you'll just stand here with the others. Your injuries are one of my primary concerns; especially that shoulder."

"You better go with him." Ivypool whispered with a giggle.

"Right." He looked over at the others. "I'll help you all later then."

"Bye, Lelouch!" Cinderheart waved as the tom left. "Oh, sorry about that, Ivypool." A blush formed on the silver and white she-cat's face.

"There's nothing between us!" She assured them, but the three other cats sat there smiling. "I'm serious!"

"Ivypool, it's so obvious that you have feelings for Lelouch. After everything he's done for you tonight, there's no way that you don't." Cinderheart replied.

"It's nothing to feel ashamed about. He is a really nice cat." Lionblaze added. He looked over at Dovewing. "She likes Lelouch, right?" Before Dovewing could speak, Ivypool let out a sigh.

"I can't keep it a secret anymore, can I? I love Lelouch, okay?" She admitted. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"We didn't mean to come off as forceful. We just didn't want you bottling it up." Cinderheart apologized.

"I just…I feel like he doesn't feel the same way. I know that he cares about me after everything he's done tonight, but…being a Twoleg…I don't think he'd think about it."

"You have to think positive about it, Ivypool." Dovewing assured her sister. "You said you'd ask him once the battle's over, right?"

"I didn't say that! You're the one who suggested it!"

"But you agreed that you'd be happier if you were his mate rather than his friend." The blush on Ivypool's face increased.

"See? You want to be with him, but are just thinking about the negative side of things." Cinderheart told her. "It wouldn't hurt to ask him, especially when everything that happened tonight is still in his memory."

"I don't think any of us would forget any of this at all."

"Lionblaze, I was trying to persuade her!" His mate complained.

"No, don't worry about it. I-I'll ask Lelouch when the time is right." Ivypool assured her. "We should get helping around the Clan in the meantime."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After helping around the camp for a while, Ivypool decided to go see how Lelouch was doing. She walked into the medicine cat's den and saw him resting along with Thornclaw, Berrynose, and Blossomfall. Leafpool was in there as well.

"How is he?" She asked the medicine cat.

"I know you like him, but are you really worried about him?" Jayfeather asked with a whisper, causing Ivypool to become flustered. "You know that he's going to be okay. Just a few scratches on his face and a cut on his ear. His shoulder injury reopened, but I've eased the pain with some comfrey and placed cobwebs over it for now." She looked over at him, the tom lifting his head up to see her.

"Hey Ivypool."

"Hi. I just wanted to see how you were feeling."

"Better, thanks to Jayfeather. Walking will be a bit of a pain because of my shoulder, but I'll manage somehow. For now, I've been told to rest a bit." He told her. "Jayfeather, have you looked over Ivypool yet?"

"What? Me? Why?" Ivypool stammered.

"Why not? When we returned from WindClan, you didn't come and let Jayfeather check on you."

"He's right. Come over here."

"I can check over her, Jayfeather." Leafpool insisted. The tom nodded, and Ivypool walked over to the she-cat. "Let's see…" She looked over her body and began touching some of Ivypool's wounds with her paw. "It seems like you just have a few deep injuries, no infections of any sort." She informed her. "I'll just place some poultice on your wounds to soothe them." Leafpool picked up a piece of comfrey root and began to chew it up.

"Leafpool…I'm still really sorry about what happened to Hollyleaf." Ivypool told her as she began to rub the poultice into her wounds.

"It wasn't your fault. Both you and Lelouch have no reason to blame yourselves. I'm happy enough that you both brought her here so I could see her one last time." She responded. "I'm thankful for you both, if anything." Once she finished, Leafpool brought her forepaws back to the ground. "Okay, done. Does it feel better?"

"Yeah. Thank you so much, Leafpool."

"You're welcome. Don't worry about Lelouch; we're taking good care of him." A blush formed on the she-cat's face.

"R-Right. Thanks again, Leafpool." Ivypool left the medicine cat's den and ended up bumping into Whitewing.

"Ivypool, there you are." The white she-cat walked over to her daughter. "How are you feeling? You're not too hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine. I just went to treat some of my injuries, actually."

"I'm glad to see both you and your sister still standing here. It's a relief, really." She stated, giving her daughter a small lick to the ear, only to rub her tongue with a paw in disgust. "Right, you just got your injuries checked." Ivypool let out a giggle, causing her mother to smile. "Where's Lelouch? Is he okay?"

"He's resting in the medicine cat's den. Why do you ask?"

"I just want to talk to him. It's nothing bad."

"Okay." Ivypool turned around and made her way back to the medicine cat's den, followed by her mother. When they walked inside, Leafpool turned to look at the two.

"Oh, hi again Ivypool. Hi Whitewing. Is there something you need?"

"No, I was just wondering if it was okay for me to speak with Lelouch." The tom looked over at her.

"Well, he needs rest, so make it quick." Jayfeather responded. Whitewing nodded and walked over to where Lelouch was, Ivypool behind her. She cleared her throat before she began to speak.

"Lelouch, I just wanted to thank you for everything that you did tonight for Ivypool. Without you, I don't know if she'd be standing here with me right now. You don't know how much it means to me."

"It's nothing. Ivypool's easily become one of my best friends in this world. I saved her for my own sake, too." Ivypool could feel herself begin to blush.

"I'm glad that you both have become so close." She meowed. "I also want to apologize for not trusting you from the beginning when you first got here, unlike my daughters. You truly have been a savior to the Clans tonight."

"W-Well I'm thankful for your praise, Whitewing. I've told Ivypool before that I understood your wariness towards me, so you don't need to apologize for the way you acted when I first arrived in this world." He assured her.

"I see. Well, I should let you get some rest now. I really just wanted to thank you, Lelouch, that's all."

"Right. Thanks for coming to tell me that, I appreciate it." With a smile, Whitewing left the medicine cat's den, Ivypool saying goodbye before she followed her mother. As they were walking across the camp, the white she-cat suddenly stopped and turned around to face her daughter.

"Ivypool…I know this isn't something a mother should really be asking her daughter, but…do you like Lelouch?" Ivypool felt her face begin to burn at Whitewing's question. Was it actually something she should admit to her mother?

"M-Mother, I…"

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I just…really feel like he's the one for you." Ivypool looked at her mother in astonishment. "Knowing that he's protected you tonight multiple times shows me how much he cares for you. If anything, I'm sure he has feelings for you." She placed a paw on her daughter's shoulder. "Ivypool, I'm not trying to tell you who you need to love, that's a choice you make on your own. I just…know you'll be safe with him." _I know that she trusts him, but I didn't think she trusted him this much._

"You do know that he's a Twoleg, right?" She asked Whitewing.

"That doesn't matter to me, especially with everything he's done for the Clans tonight. You shouldn't let that matter to you either."

"Mother, I…I really do love him, but…I feel like because he's not originally a cat that he won't feel the same way." She confessed.

"Well you won't know the answer unless you try, right?" Ivypool let out a smile. "See? He'd be foolish to turn down a cat as beautiful and considerate as yourself." _Maybe they're right. I know how I feel about him, but I won't know how he feels if I'm scared to ask him. Even if he doesn't reciprocate my feelings back, I'll never forget everything he's done for me._

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The next day, Ivypool made her way back into camp, dropping the mouse that she caught while out on a hunting patrol. Normally she would catch more prey, but today she was going to confess everything to Lelouch. Sure she was scared of battle yesterday, but Ivypool was as scared to speak with Lelouch. _I know I said I'd be okay just being friends, but…_ She could feel her chest tighten at the feeling of sheer heartbreak. _I have to do this._

"Hey sis!" Ivypool jumped at the sound of Dovewing's voice. She turned to see that she was with Lelouch. _Could they…like each other too? My own sister…does he love her?_

"Oh, hi you two." She greeted them with a smile. She saw Dovewing nudge the tom. "Is everything okay over here?" She wondered, letting out a small laugh.

"What? Yeah, everything's fine." Lelouch assured her. "I actually wanted to talk with you, Ivypool. Alone. You're not busy, are you?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"No, I'm free right now." She replied.

"Great. Follow me." The tom began walking towards the camp entrance. Ivypool looked back at her sister, who smiled before making her way towards the warriors' den. Ivypool caught up with Lelouch and walked through the thorn tunnel together.

"How's your shoulder?"

"It's doing better. Still a bit of a pain to walk, but I'll be fine." Ivypool could feel her heartbeat increase. Now was her chance.

"Lelouch, I actually wanted to talk to you about something, too." She admitted. "B-But you can talk first, I don't mind."

"S-Sure Ivypool, I don't mind." He stuttered. Ivypool also noticed him turn his gaze away from hers, his violet eyes staring off into the forest around them. _He seems embarrassed about something. I hope I didn't do anything wrong._ Ivypool waited, but still the tom didn't speak. _Could he…no…_ Lelouch let out a sigh, bringing her attention back to him.

"Ivypool…during the battle with the Dark Forest yesterday…I realized how much you cared about me." He told her.

"Why wouldn't I care about you, Lelouch? We are friends, aren't we?" She responded. "You...really have cared for me too, Lelouch. Why wouldn't I do the same?" A blush formed on her face. His violet eyes once again touched her crystal blue gaze. Her heart continued to race, feeling like it could burst any second. Her paws also became shaky, nervousness coursing through her. "You saved my life twice yesterday. W-Without you…I might not be here. You mean so much to me, Lelouch, more than any cat."

"Ivypool…" The she-cat wasn't sure if she was admitting her feelings for the tom at this point. Fear and nervousness still made her shudder, and it didn't help that his violet gaze was still fixated on her. "I-I know that we're great friends…but…I've been thinking that we could be…more than that." The blush on Ivypool's face increased and she placed a paw over her mouth in astonishment. _W-What?_

"Lelouch…"

"I'm…really not perfect when it comes to this stuff…but…I love you, Ivypool." He confessed, a strong blush on his face. "I-I know it's strange, especially since I'm not originally a cat, but…I can't fight away how I feel about you…I don't want to." She walked over to him and brushed her head below his chin, her eyes glistening.

"You're perfect to me." A loving purr resonated from her. "I really do love you, Lelouch. Yesterday you saved my life and I really loved getting to know you ever since you first came to ThunderClan." She rubbed her eyes into his coat. "I'm…so happy that you were the first cat that I ever fell in love with. I was…worried that you didn't feel the same way."

"Why wouldn't I? You've made me feel at home in this world."

"I just…thought being a Twoleg would make it seem ridiculous."

"Like I said, I know it's strange, but…with everything you've done for me…" She silenced the tom with a kiss to the cheek.

"You don't have to explain yourself. I'm just glad your heart chose me, Lelouch." He let out a smile, but then turned his violet gaze towards the ground. "W-Was the kiss too much?"

"N-No, it's just that…I'm sorry for all of this."

"What do you mean?"

"Ivypool…there might be a time when I have to leave this world. I just…don't want you distraught over that." She shook her head.

"I don't care. I know being in this world isn't normal for you, but the Clans and I see you as a blessing. I want to be the cat who gets the opportunity to be by your side in battle, and in love, for as long as I can." She saw Lelouch beginning to blush, causing her to giggle. "Sorry…I don't mean to sound this passionate about love."

"I-It's okay, Ivypool. So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, you brought it up, actually. I thought I'd have to be the one confessing how I've felt about you. Thanks for doing that."

"O-Oh, I guess you're lucky then. I guess it helps that I felt like you had feelings for me."

"D-Did I really make it seem that way last night?" He nodded. "Thought so…"

"Don't feel embarrassed about it." He assured her with a small laugh, causing her to smile. "There we go. Actually, we should get back to camp now." Ivypool nodded and the two made their way through the thorn tunnel together, this time, as a couple. _Ever since I first met Lelouch, I never planned on falling in love with him…and now…my heart belongs to the one and only tom that I'll ever love as much as this._

I know that all the stories posted so far have been love-related, but it's mostly because the majority of the ideas I've had that prompted me to create this series were based on pairings that either haven't been developed, or ones that show some connection between the two cats, but won't be part of the main series. There's still room for things outside of shippings, but I'd need to think of some more ideas. I'm still open for ideas from the readers out there, but just know that this series is stories that I'm typing when I'm taking a break from the main storyline, so that's why this series is barely getting updated. I'm not saying that I won't get to your ideas if you send in some, but they'll take a bit longer to come to fruition. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this story and I hope that you continue following my Warriors series.


	5. Better Left Unsaid (Suguha x Lelouch)

Better Left Unsaid?

 _"_ _That was a nice_ catch, Suguha. It's great to see that you, Kirito, and Asuna have gotten used to being in this world." Lelouch told her, the she-cat carrying a mouse between her jaws.

"Well, we have been here for a while, almost a month, actually." She replied after dropping her mouse on the pile of fresh kill they had made.

"Do you miss being home?" He wondered.

"I mean, ThunderClan has felt like home after all these days. We're all one big family. It'd be hard for me to leave this all behind." Suguha mewed.

"Good answer."

"What? Were you expecting me to say something else?"

"No, not at all. I'm just glad that what I thought you were going to say was how you felt, rather than just a yes or no answer."

"Oh, well thanks for seeing me that way, Lelouch." She let out a smile. "Besides, Kazuto, Asuna, and I aren't done here yet. We still haven't exactly helped the Clans. The quest we had didn't really help much…but we did find Twigkit and Violetkit." She then let out a sigh. "I hope Violetkit's doing okay in ShadowClan. Lelouch, do you think we should've fought to keep her?"

"The animosity between ShadowClan and ThunderClan was strong enough with them knowing about you, Kirito, and Asuna. As much as I hate having a family become divided, especially at such a young age…fighting wouldn't have helped bring peace to the Clans. We just have to see how this all plays out." He answered.

"I can't believe Needlepaw would do something like that! There's no way she didn't realize that she'd be splitting apart the only family they had. I can't believe I was so kind to her during the journey only to have her do this…"

"Hey, none of us could've expected it. She really was good company to have around at the time. We can't let her bad action cloud over the help she offered throughout the quest."

"I guess you're right. Thanks for making me think that way, Lelouch."

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do." He said. "I really do owe you a lot, Suguha."

"No you don't. Everything that I've done for you is because we're friends, Lelouch." A sudden blush formed on her face. "Plus…the kiss we shared was way more than enough." Now the tom began to blush, remembering what occurred after the she-cat talked some sense into him that day.

"R-right. I'm still sorry about that, Suguha. I hope it wasn't your first kiss or anything…" The tom's face grew even hotter in embarrassment. "I didn't mean that in an offensive way! I-I'm sure you're cute enough to have had one…" Lelouch placed a paw over his face. _I'm just digging a deeper hole right now. This isn't exactly my sweet spot…_

"I-it's okay Lelouch, really." A blush covered her face and she shifted her gaze away from his violet eyes. "To be honest…you were actually my first…"

"Suguha…I'm sorry that I wasn't thinking straight. You deserve to share a moment like that with someone back in Japan, not with some human that's a cat."

"No, it's okay. Lelouch…I know I seemed shocked about it…but I really didn't mind it at all." Suguha could feel her heart begin to beat faster and faster as she continued to talk. "You're selfless and kindhearted…and I'm glad to have had that moment with someone like you."

"Suguha…"

"We should get going and bring this prey back." She quickly told the tom, wanting to avoid any more of the intimate time they were sharing with each other. _I know I like him…but…I can't be with him._ The two picked up the pieces of prey that they caught and began to walk back to camp. As Suguha was walking, all she could think about was how strange things were between her and Lelouch. _I'm just making everything worse by bringing it back up…but I really just want to know how he feels about me. I know that he says he appreciates me…but is there more to that?_ _I'm too embarrassed to ask him about it. Maybe I should ask someone to ask for me. Wait…that's it!_ The two didn't talk for the rest of the walk and once they got back to camp, they dropped their prey off over in the fresh-kill pile.

"I guess I'll see you later, Suguha."

"Yeah. Bye, Lelouch." Suguha walked over to the warriors' den and saw that there was no sign of Kirito.

"Hi Suguha." Nightheart greeted her with a smile.

"Oh, hi Nightheart." Suguha sat right next to the black she-cat. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing good, thank you for asking. How was hunting with Father?" She asked, causing the pale ginger she-cat to blush.

"I-it went well."

"I'm sorry, should I not have asked you that? You seem flustered."

"N-no, it's fine, really! We didn't have any trouble finding prey. We had a great time." She answered.

"Oh, well that's good." A sudden blush formed on Nightheart's face. "I-it's probably only fair if you ask how Kirito and I's hunting went." Suguha realized that she and Nightheart were almost the same in their love predicament, Nightheart having feelings for her cousin, while Suguha had feelings for her father, but nobody knew how Suguha felt about Lelouch.

"I don't want to if it makes you uncomfortable." She assured her.

"It's only fair that I do." Nightheart insisted. "We both did well on our catches. It's always nice to have him compete with me…and I'm glad telling him how I felt about him back when we were on the journey didn't affect anything between us…and between me and Asuna as well."

"I'm glad to hear that, Nightheart. Where is Kazuto right now?"

"Right when he got back he went on a border patrol." She answered. "Because you brought up Kazuto…do you think he minds that I call him by his real name sometimes?"

"Of course not, Nightheart, especially since sometimes I see him blush when you call him by his real name."

"I don't want to make him uncomfortable! I should just call him Kirito from now on." Suguha let out a small giggle.

"He's fine being called by that, I promise." Suguha noticed Nightheart's gaze turn away from hers. "Is something wrong?"

"Do you…hate me, Suguha?"

"Where's this coming from all of a sudden? You're one of my favorite cats and my best friend in this world!"

"Sorry, it's just…I don't want to steal Kirito away from you. I've seen how much you and he spend time together, but I don't want to get in the way of the time you share. I remember you telling me how much you like him as a brother and I just don't want to ruin that."

"Nothing will ever ruin the relationship Kazuto and I have, Nightheart. You can spend as much time as you want with him."

"Okay, and you can spend as much time as you want with Father too." A blush covered Suguha's face.

"W-well I appreciate it, but I don't think that's necessary!"

"Do you not like spending time with him?"

"N-no! I just…feel like you think I like him the way you like Kirito." _Why don't I just tell Nightheart? I mean, we're best friends…but she's Lelouch's daughter! I don't want to scare her._

"O-oh...I apologize, Suguha. I remembered how you helped him feel better on the journey after Sandstorm died, and…I guess knowing that you're with him is a relief because I know you'll be there to keep his spirits up."

"Nightheart…"

"Sorry for getting sentimental about this…I just…" She watched as Suguha got up from the bedding below her.

"I have to tell you something…in private." She muttered so that the others in the den couldn't hear, but regardless, she knew that the other warriors knew better than to eavesdrop on a conversation, at least she hoped. The two walked out of the den to a vacant spot in the camp away from any other cats.

"Suguha, what's going on?"

"Nightheart; after what you told me…I couldn't keep this a secret…not from you. It's going to seem…strange that you're the cat I'm admitting this to, but…you deserve to know." Suguha took a breath. "I lied to you back in the warriors' den."

"Do you…not want me spending time with Kirito anymore?"

"No, it's not that. Nightheart...I love Lelouch." The black she-cat placed a paw over her mouth.

"Y-you love…Father?" Suguha could see the shock in her violet eyes.

"I knew I should've kept this a secret…especially from you. I know it's strange…but I can't help feeling this way around him. You must think I'm a freak now…"

"Suguha, I would never think that. Mother always tells me that Father attracts a lot of other cats around the forest…but because we're such great friends I know you love him for all the right reasons. Every other she-cat from the other Clans only love him because of his appearance, but I know that you've spent enough time to see more in him." Nightheart smiled. "I'm glad he was able to attract a cat as beautiful as you, Suguha."

"Nightheart…stop it…" Suguha told her with a giggle, a blush on her face. "Please keep this secret between us. I don't want anyone knowing, especially Ivypool."

"Mother wouldn't hurt you if she found out…just like how Asuna doesn't hurt me for being around Kirito." She assured her. "When you think about it, we're both the freaks of ThunderClan for falling in love with cats that already have mates."

"Well you're the freakier one." Suguha teased, giving Nightheart a playful push with her paw. "Honestly though, thank you for not worrying."

"What are friends for? To be honest, I would think that you would tell Asuna first. I'm honored to be the first to know such a secret."

"Just remember that we're going to keep it that way, okay?" Suguha asked, looking around them. "I don't think anyone else came around to look for us, so that's a relief."

"So…are you going to tell him how you feel? It's not like anything bad can come from it. Father isn't the type to get freaked out by a simple confession of love, especially since he can easily think of why you feel how you do towards him."

"I was going to tell him today, but later on once Kirito comes back. You see, I have certain spells, and transformation is one of them." Suguha swiped a paw down to open the menu window in front of her and after a few seconds, she walked over to Nightheart and pulled out a strand of fur from her bangs.

"Ow…what was that for?"

"You'll see…" Suguha spent a few more seconds on the menu screen and Nightheart watched as a bright glow surrounded her and Suguha. Once it faded, Nightheart was surprised to see her own self standing in front of her.

"Suguha, how did you…" Nightheart placed a paw over her mouth when she realized that she was talking in Suguha's voice. She also noticed that her usual black paw was now a pale ginger color.

"I used this once to ask Kazuto how he felt about me. Our friend Lizbeth wasn't happy about it at all." Suguha told her with a giggle. Suguha opened the menu again and with a few presses, the same glow surrounded the two and they reverted back to normal.

"So to avoid confusion, you transform into the cat whose fur you take, but they turn into you?" Nightheart guessed, causing Suguha to nod.

"Yup. Kazuto's bound to be tired when he comes back, so he won't mind if I'm him when I talk with Lelouch."

"You've really thought this through, huh?" Suguha nodded. "Wait…don't you think it'll be hard for Father to admit how he feels about you to Kirito? He is your cousin after all." Suguha's eyes widened in shock.

"How'd I not think of that!? No, no, it's okay. Lelouch and Kazuto are great friends, so the same thing that happened between us should happen if he were to ask. Yeah, that's it! It's just the conversation we had, but between two toms!"

"It's a good thing that brain of yours is working." Nightheart teased with a giggle. "I'll try my best to help you, but I already see two problems."

"Like what?"

"Well for one: you'll probably want the warriors' den cleared out so that no cat sees you use your magic, and two: what if Kirito wakes up?"

"You're right, this idea won't work at all!" Suguha let out an irritated sigh. "We'll have to try and make sure the den is only filled with sleeping cats, if anything. Can I rely on you to keep Kirito distracted?"

"I can try." Nightheart told her.

"Let's just hope this all works."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

For the next hour, Suguha and Nightheart stayed together inside of the camp. Luckily, the two were not asked to perform any duties during that time, and they knew that Kirito was fast asleep. The two walked into the warriors' den and saw that other cats were inside talking while Kirito was taking a nap. They were greeted by Dovewing.

"Hi you two. What have you been up to today?"

"Oh nothing. We went hunting earlier this morning, so now we're just talking." Nightheart told her.

"Oh, cool. I just came back from border patrol with this one." She pointed her tail over to Kirito. "He seems to like overworking himself. I guess Asuna was the one keeping him under control, but now she's over in ShadowClan."

"I think Kazuto finds that as a blessing too. He's free to do more dangerous and dumb stuff." Suguha told her with a giggle. The two looked at Dovewing before giving each other a quick glance.

"Dovewing, I don't want to sound rude, but Suguha and I were going to play a prank on Kirito. Do you mind leaving us alone for a bit?"

"A prank, huh? Why do I need to leave?"

"Well…I mean, we need every cat that's awake in here to leave." She told her.

"Must be some prank then." Molewhisker added, overhearing their conversation.

"Yeah, I just…don't want anyone seeing in case they get any ideas to use it on me." Suguha explained. "Nightheart here is helping me out with it. I have all the paws I need." The warriors that were awake looked at each other. "It'll only take less than a minute, then you all can come back in."

"C'mon everyone. We can give them a minute. Plus, I kinda want to see what happens." Fernsong told them. The others seemed to have no problem with it and began to get up.

"Just make sure not to do anything reckless to him." Dovewing told them, and they nodded. Once every awake cat left, the two she-cats let out sighs of relief.

"I didn't think that it would work!" Suguha stated.

"You're telling me. Let's just get this magic done so we can let them all back in." The two walked over to Kirito, Suguha slowly bringing a paw closer to the fur on his head that mimicked his hairstyle. As she grabbed one strand of fur, Kirito's body slowly began to move, causing her to quickly move her paw away. He rolled onto his back and swatted a paw in front of her face. Again, Suguha brought her paw over to his fur on his head and quickly pulled a strand of fur out. They waited for a while and saw that Kirito was too deep into his slumber to feel that a piece of his fur was just pulled out.

"Quick, use the spell!"

"Right. Go keep watch!" Nightheart made her way over to the entrance and noticed Ivypool approaching the warriors' den.

"Suguha, Mother's coming!"

"Okay, hold on." As Nightheart turned back to see Ivypool even closer to the warriors' den. Nightheart could see a bright light appear from the corner of her eye before her mother now stood in front of her.

"Oh, Mother. How was your walk with Father? Where is he now, actually?" She quickly asked.

"He's over there talking with Molewhisker. He told us something about a prank going on here?"

"Y-yeah. Suguha and I were just pulling a prank on Kirito."

"I didn't think you were a part of it too, Nightheart." Nightheart turned around when she heard Kirito, the tom standing right behind her.

"I guess the prank was a fail then?" Ivypool said with a giggle.

"Yup. I guess whatever Suguha was planning backfired." Nightheart looked behind her to see Suguha sleeping in the bedding that Kirito was previously in. She looked back at the tom, who gave her a wink, causing her to blush.

"A-anyway, I'm going to tell the others that they can come back in now, Mother."

"Okay. Sorry if Nightheart was being too mischievous, Kirito." Ivypool apologized.

"It's cool. Actually Ivypool, I was wondering if I could go talk with Lelouch today. I don't want to interrupt if you planned something."

"It's fine. We don't have anything to do after our walk today. I'm sure he'd love to catch up with you anyway."

"Great. Thanks, Ivypool. I'm gonna help Nightheart for now." He thanked the she-cat before walking away with Nightheart. "Well that went better than I expected."

"It did. The wink was unnecessary though!" Nightheart told her, a blush of embarrassment on her face.

"Don't you find me cuter now, Nightheart?" Suguha asked her.

"I know I said I liked your cousin, but it was just an in the moment thing!" Suguha let out a small laugh.

"Sorry for teasing you so much about it."

"It's fine." Nightheart let out a grin. "Why don't we tell Molewhisker that he can go back first? That's not a problem, is it?" A blush formed on Suguha's face.

"W-why would it be a problem? You're the only cat on my mind, Nightheart."

"Okay, this prank thing is starting to sound like a prank on me."

"Hey you two." They both turned around and saw that it was Lelouch.

"Hi Father. How was your walk with Mother?"

"It was great. Spending time with her is always a pleasure…but I think I enjoy spending time with you a bit more." He gave her a lick on the ear, causing her to giggle. "Molewhisker was telling me about a prank on Kirito, but seeing as he's awake, I'm guessing it didn't work?"

"Yeah, it failed, right, Kirito?" Nightheart looked over at the other tom.

"Y-yup. I don't really know what was going on, but they didn't get me." Suguha told the black tom. "Lelouch, I was…just wondering if…we could go out into the forest and talk today." Lelouch tilted his head in confusion.

"About what?"

"I just…wanted to catch up and stuff…you know, if that's okay."

"Yeah, sure. When did you want to head out?"

"Oh…um…right now would be okay…but I can understand if you want to rest a bit!"

"Are you sure that Suguha's prank didn't work? You seem a bit off, no offense."

"It must just be that I'm…" Suguha let out a fake, yet believable yawn. "…still a bit tired." Lelouch still looked at him in confusion, but shrugged it off.

"Alright. Let's get going then."

"Great. I'll see you later, Father. Have fun with your talk!" Nightheart watched as the two toms began to leave the camp. _I hope everything goes well for Suguha. Now, to keep my eyes on Kirito._

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"It's a really nice day for a walk today." Suguha told the tom as the two walked through the forest. "I really hope you didn't mind going out again, Lelouch. I probably should've just waited for another time."

"It's fine. I wouldn't want you forgetting about it." Lelouch responded with a small laugh.

"How could I forget about doing something with you?" A sudden blush covered her face. _Kirito would never say anything like that! C'mon Suguha, stay Kirito-esque!_ "Sorry if that came out a bit strange! I just meant that I respect you a whole lot!"

"Well, thanks, Kirito." He told the tom. "I know I've told you this over and over…but I'm sorry for attacking you while we were at the gorge." The tom reminded her of the time when they went on the journey to find SkyClan. "I know you didn't mean for Nightheart to get hurt…but I just didn't know who else to blame."

"Oh…" Although Suguha was still just acting, she couldn't help but actually feeling sorrow towards the tom.

"Sorry about my poor wording about it all. I'm just glad that you make Nightheart happy. After coming to this world and meeting her, I care about her more than anything. I should be thanking you for giving her a great friend."

"You don't need to thank me for that, Lelouch. Nightheart's an amazing friend. I enjoy her company."

"I hope you're not enjoying her company too much." A sudden blush formed on Suguha's face. "I'm just joking, Kirito. If you both like each other, then I have no problem…unless you hurt her in any way." He informed her, letting out a small laugh afterwards. "I feel so old now that I have Nightheart. It's surreal."

"I know that feeling. Having Yui around is almost similar."

"I guess we have a bit in common, huh?" Suguha let out a small smile and nodded her head. "So…did you want to catch up on anything specific, Kirito?"

"Oh…well, not really. I just wanted to talk."

"We could've just stayed in the camp…but I can understand wanting to come out here. Do you want to go out hunting for a bit? I just went a while ago with Suguha, but it couldn't hurt, especially since I know how much you enjoy it."

"I…guess it really couldn't hurt like you said…"

"Hesitant? What happened to the Kirito I knew who would take up this offer in a heartbeat?" Lelouch wondered. "Oh…you must still be tired?"

"N-no, I'm okay now. Let's go look for some prey."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Nightheart stayed near Kirito in the warriors' den, resting right next to the tom. As she was curled up, she suddenly felt movement next to her and saw Kirito let out a yawn before shaking his head and opening his eyes.

"Oh, hey Nightheart. Have you been here all this time?" The tom asked before a puzzled looked appeared on his face. "Wait…" He quickly moved a paw over his mouth.

"Kirito, please don't freak out!" Nightheart begged with a whisper. Kirito moved the paw away and looked down at his now pale ginger paws.

"Freak out? I don't know what you're talking about, who's freaking out? It's not me." He quickly stammered. "This is all just a dream, isn't it? Yeah, that's it." As the two were talking, Cherryfall looked over at them.

"Are you okay, Suguha?" She asked.

"She's fine, Cherryfall! Just having some post sleep trauma!" Nightheart assured her.

"Is…that a thing?" She wondered.

"Um…yes! We're actually going to go see Jayfeather to see if he can give her something. Come on, _Suguha_." Nightheart helped Kirito get up and he followed her out of the warriors' den. Once they were alone, Kirito turned to look at the she-cat.

"Okay Nightheart, can you tell me what's going on? What did Suguha do to me?!" He asked in desperation.

"She just…needed to be you for something…so while you were asleep she took some of your fur to be you, and now you're her."

"I…didn't know that she was able to do something like this." Kirito spun around, looking at his new pale ginger body. "I look exactly like her, not to mention that I sound like her, too." He then let out a smirk. "Do you think I could play some pranks on some of the cats around here?"

"I mean, I wouldn't advise it myself." The black she-cat replied.

"I guess you would say that." He said with a pout. "So, what is this something that Suguha needed to be me for?"

"Oh, um…well..." Nightheart paused, the she-cat trying to think up a good lie.

"C'mon Nightheart. I promise that when I'm back to normal I'll make it up to you…" He brought his face closer to hers. "…We'll be as far away from Lelouch as possible and everything." A strong blush formed on the she-cat's face.

"K-Kirito!" She pushed him away, causing him to snicker. "Hearing Suguha talk to me like that is wrong as is, and don't think knowing that it's you makes it any better!"

"Sorry, it just feels less embarrassing saying it all as Suguha." He admitted. "So, you're really not going to tell me at all?" She shook her head. "Figures. You both are really amazing friends. However…" He gazed over at the medicine cat's den. "I still think I want to pull a prank on someone."

"Don't tell me you're going to speak with Alderpaw…" Nightheart said. "You know how much he likes Suguha." _Gotcha._ A sly grin appeared on his face.

"I won't…unless you tell me what Suguha needed to be me for." Nightheart looked at him in shock, but let out a sigh. _Me and my big mouth…_

"Fine…she's out talking with Lelouch."

"Lelouch? Why would she need to be me to…" His eyes widened in surprise as he realized his cousin's motives. "She likes Lelouch?!" Nightheart quickly placed her tail over his mouth.

"What's this I hear about liking Lelouch?" They saw Molewhisker approaching the two.

"Oh, hi Molewhisker. We were just talking about how much…Sorrelstripe likes Father…yeah, that's it. Apparently Suguha didn't know and was so surprised about it."

"It seems like every she-cat around here likes your father, Nightheart. I wouldn't be surprised if you liked him too, Suguha."

"R-Really? I mean…there's other cats in ThunderClan too…" Kirito brushed his tail on Molewhisker's shoulder, the tom's face growing hot. "…like you." Nightheart looked at Kirito in shock.

"Y-yeah…I guess you're right. I-I should get going now, actually!" The tom quickly turned away from the two, Kirito letting out a smile.

"Did you really say and do all of that to get Molewhisker away?" Nightheart whispered.

"Of course that was why! Don't tell me you think as Kirito I like him."

"N-no! I just meant that I thought you'd be a bit freaked out saying all that stuff."

"Like I said, as Suguha, it doesn't seem all that bad." He responded. "So…is what you said about her true? Does she really like Lelouch?" She nodded. "I mean Suguha, not Sorrelstripe."

"It's a yes to both of those, actually. What Molewhisker says is pretty much spot-on."

"Wow…Suguha likes Lelouch. Why didn't I see it?"

"You're not…mad about it, are you?"

"Hey, Sugu's her own cat. She can make choices for herself. I'm just surprised, if you couldn't tell by me yelling it after you told me." He replied. "So…she needed to be me to speak with him? She needed…oh no, we have to stop them!"

"What? Why?"

"I don't need Lelouch hearing how Suguha feels coming from my mouth! If anything, she could've just told me and I'd be in her place to tell him! C'mon, we have to find them!"

"But don't you want Suguha to be happy knowing if Father reciprocates those feelings back?"

"Of course I do…but she should just be herself when asking him. I'm doing this to help her." Nightheart stayed silent. Sure, she wanted to help Suguha, but at the same time, Kirito did bring up a good point.

"Okay, let's go look for them."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After the two finished hunting, Lelouch and Suguha placed their fresh-kill nearby and found a small clearing in the forest so that they could speak with each other.

"So…what did you want to talk about, Kirito?"

"Oh…um, well…how can I say this?" Suguha stalled, trying to figure out the exact way to ask the tom her question.

"Is it that embarrassing of a question?"

"I just don't want you being freaked out by it, that's all!" She assured him. "I was just…wondering how you feel about Suguha." She could feel the fur on her face beginning to grow hot.

"About Suguha? Are you embarrassed about being a good cousin or something?" He responded with a small laugh. "It's perfectly fine to ask me about her, Kirito. After all, I'm the one who asks you about Nightheart all the time."

"Well that's because you're her dad."

"True, but we both keep our eyes on them as best as we can." Suguha gazed into his violet eyes. "Oh, it must look like I'm avoiding the question or something, sorry about that."

"It's cool."

"Now, how I feel about Suguha…Well I'm sure you know how kind she is. She's also very selfless as well. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was glad that I know her."

"R-Really?" A blush formed on the she-cat's face.

"Are you surprised? She's usually like that, right?"

"Y-Yeah, it just makes me feel happy knowing that you feel that way about her." She told him. "Is there…anything else?"

"It's kinda hard to put it all into words, honestly. I mean, you should know that more than anyone, Kirito."

"I guess you're right about that…" She turned her gaze away from him. "H-How else do you feel about her?" Lelouch tilted his head in confusion. He thought he answered the question well enough, but then realized the source of the tom's embarrassment.

"Oh…do you mean if I _like_ her?" She nodded. "Well now I can see why you're embarrassed when I ask you about how you feel about Nightheart." He stated. "Why bring this up all of a sudden? I'm guessing Suguha told you, didn't she?" She could see the tom beginning to blush. "I wasn't thinking straight when I kissed her. She was just…so helpful when I needed it, and I…well you know…" He looked up at her. "Y-You're not mad, are you, Kirito?"

"N-Not at all. I mean, we're great friends Lelouch." She assured him. Her heart began to beat faster as she began to ask him the question that would give her the answer she desperately desired. "So…let's say you and Ivypool weren't together. W-Would you be with Suguha?"

"M-Me? I know I said all those kind things about her, which I firmly believe, don't get me wrong…but I don't think I see her that way." He answered. "D-Don't tell her I said that." Suguha could feel her chest tighten in sorrow. It hurt even more seeing the tom look at her, thinking that he was speaking to her cousin.

"O-Okay…" Her voice trailed off. "I'll see you over at camp, Lelouch. I really have to get going now." She quickly got to her paws and left the tom alone, Lelouch's ears falling flat as he watched her leave.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"C'mon Nightheart, who knows what Lelouch thinks of me now?" Kirito told the she-cat as they were running through the forest.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad, Kirito. Let's slow down a bit." Nightheart told him as she trailed behind. "Wait…" Nightheart tasted the air. "I can smell both you and Father around here…but you seem to be going somewhere else."

"Wait…you know what I smell like?" He asked her, a blush forming on Nightheart's face.

"Don't make this weird! I know what most of my closest friends smell like!" As she was sniffing the air, a bright light shone next to her and she saw that it was surrounding Kirito. Once it faded, she saw that the tom was now standing in front of her. "I guess the spell wore off."

"That's a relief. Do you think we should go look for Lelouch first and explain everything?"

"Father is the closest one from here. I'll lead." The two passed countless trees and made their way through several bushes until the two reached Lelouch, the tom looking like he was heading back to ThunderClan, prey in his jaws. "Father!" The tom looked up to see his daughter and Kirito.

"Kirito, I thought you were heading back to ThunderClan." Lelouch told them as they both approached, dropping his fresh-kill before he spoke.

"Father, we have a bit of explaining to do…" Nightheart told him.

"Explaining?" The tom's eyes suddenly widened and looked over at Kirito.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Nightheart and I weren't doing anything together, I swear!" Kirito assured him.

"F-Father! Why do you always have to think like that?!" A blush formed on his daughter's face.

"Right, sorry you two. Just being a parent." He apologized. "So, what did you both need to tell me?"

"What did we just talk about a few minutes ago?" Kirito asked.

"This is a joke, right?" He stated. "You forgot your fresh-kill by the way."

"He probably talked about Suguha, right, Father?" Nightheart asked, Lelouch looking at her in surprise.

"How'd you know? Well, I suppose Kirito told you, huh?"

"That wasn't me, Lelouch." Kirito told the tom. "Suguha used a spell so that she could be me and talk with you."

"Suguha used a…oh no…" The tom placed a paw on his head. "I should've known it was unlike you to ask me about Suguha out of nowhere!"

"She didn't kiss you as Kirito, did she?"

"W-What, no! I just…can you both take these back to ThunderClan? I have to go look for Suguha!" Lelouch ran off, leaving the two black cats alone.

"What do you think happened?" Kirito wondered.

"I don't know, but something tells me that it explains why Suguha left Father here."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Lelouch ran quickly through the forest, trying his best to catch the pale ginger she-cat's scent. _She must be so hurt right now after what I said. If I knew she had feelings for me, hell, if I knew it was her that I was talking to, I would've been less direct about it._ He told himself. His nose caught on to her scent and he turned towards the Ancient Oak. _Please tell me you're still here, Suguha._ As he made his way closer to the tree, her scent became stronger, relief now coursing through the tom. After he passed through one more row of bushes, he saw that Suguha was at the base of the tree, lying down. Suguha looked up at the sound of pawsteps and saw the tom approaching her.

"Oh…hi, Lelouch." She greeted, a small sniff being let out afterwards. _She's been crying, too? Being the cause of that for a cat as sweet as Suguha…it feels horrible._

"Hey, Suguha." He sat down right in front of the she-cat. The two stayed silent for a while until Lelouch finally spoke again. "I'm…really sorry for making you cry."

"You? N-No, I'm just here thinking about stuff, that's all." She assured him.

"Suguha…Nightheart and Kirito told me everything." The she-cat's eyes suddenly widened before she responded.

"O-Oh…" He could see the resurgence of tears in her glimmering green eyes. Lelouch was lost. He didn't know what to say anymore. He couldn't take back what he told her and switch it around to make her feel better. She began to cry into her forepaws, Lelouch still silent. He got up from in front of her and instead now sat next to her, pressing his coat onto hers. "S-Stop it…I…I can't love you, Lelouch…not anymore."

"Suguha…I didn't mean to make you cry. You know how much I care about you." He stated. "When I told you that I was glad to know you, I really meant it. I may have been a bit too lenient and should've said that you've been a blessing to know. You've helped me so much in this world ever since I've met you."

"The only thing I've helped you with is helping you feel better after Sandstorm died…" She responded. Her tears slowly began to subside, being replaced by sudden sniffs.

"That's not true. You've given Nightheart another friend in her life…and you've given me someone who makes me happy just by being around them."

"R-Really?" Lelouch nodded.

"I would never lie to you, Suguha." He told her. "I'm just…sorry that I don't reciprocate the feelings you have towards me on the same scale."

"It's not your fault, Lelouch. I should be the one sorry for having feelings towards you, especially knowing that you already have Ivypool."

"You shouldn't be sorry for something like love. Maybe I don't love you now, but I do like you, Suguha."

"You…do?"

"Did comparing you to Ivypool when I accidentally kissed you not tell you that?" He stated with a smile. "You never know; maybe someday my feelings towards you will be as strong as the ones you have towards me."

"I would really like that." She pressed her head into his fur, a blush quickly forming on her face. "Ah, sorry!" She quickly moved her face away from him.

"It's the least I could do for making you cry, Suguha." The she-cat hesitated for a while until she resumed snuggling closer him.

"What's going on over here?" Suguha leaped at the sound of her cousin's voice. She looked over towards the nearby row of bushes and saw Kirito and Nightheart walk out.

"N-Nothing Kazuto!"

"Really? I don't think turning into me means nothing's going on." Nightheart suddenly pushed him, causing him to lose his footing. "Ow!"

"You know what Suguha went through. There's no need to tease her." She scolded the tom before walking over to the she-cat and her father. "Are you okay, Suguha?"

"I'm fine. Thanks for everything, Nightheart, you're really an amazing friend." A blush formed on the black she-cat's face.

"So are you, Suguha. Whenever you need me, I'll be here for you."

"So you knew about this all, didn't you?" Lelouch asked his daughter.

"W-Well…" She gazed down at her paws before bowing her head. "I'm sorry for not telling you, Father." Lelouch let out a small chuckle before getting up to give his daughter a lick on the forehead.

"You don't have to apologize, Nightheart. I know you just wanted to help a friend." He looked over at Kirito. "These two didn't cause you any trouble, did they?"

"Hey, as long as you didn't kiss me, everything's fine." He assured him before letting out a grin. "Hopefully Suguha acting as me didn't make you feel anything towards me." Lelouch rolled his eyes.

"You can't be serious, Kirito." He looked back at the other two. "We should get back to camp now." The others nodded and made their way back together.

"Did anyone figure out that Kirito was me?" Suguha asked the black she-cat as they were walking.

"Nope. Although…let's just say that Molewhisker sees you differently." Suguha shot her green gaze over at her cousin, who looked at her in shock.

"What did you do to him?!"

"N-Nothing bad! I may have just…made you flirt with him…well, not really!"

"You used a playful voice while brushing your tail on his shoulder." Suguha's face began to redden and she smacked Kirito with a paw.

"That's the last time I change appearances with you!"


End file.
